Lancaster University to invest £1m in green technology

Lancaster University has announced that it will invest £1m into green technologies.
Lancaster University at night.Lancaster University at night.
Lancaster University at night.

The university said this week that it will invest in solutions “to environmental challenges associated with growing populations, climate change and resource scarcity through innovation, technology and the intelligent use of natural resources.”

A spokeswoman said: “Lancaster University is shifting the emphasis of its investments strategy into new technologies as part of its commitment to environmental sustainability.

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“The university has been working with its Students’ Union to review its portfolio of endowment and unrestricted investments, in particular a portfolio of around £1m shares which will provide the funding for the new investments.

Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Lancaster University

“We are now researching companies and technologies which will positively deliver on environmental sustainability.

“We will look to become part of a fund that targets such companies and novel approaches that could help provide a more sustainable future.”

The spokeswoman said that out of a total of £1.3m of its £5.3m endowment, a small proportion is still invested in fossil fuels, the tobacco industry and BAE Systems in Lancashire.

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Laura Clayson, former President of Lancaster University Students’ Union, now an advisor to the NUS on their divest-invest campaign commented: “To stay below 2 degrees of global warming we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and transition to a clean energy future, that is both democratic and decolonised. “While the UK Government is cutting subsidies to renewable energy and increasing those to fossil fuels, it is essential that powerful institutions, like universities, invest in just and sustainable energy alternatives.

Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Lancaster University

“I hope that Lancaster’s decision today inspires other institutions to take heed: this grassroots movement is here to stay, as students globally express that they want their degree to be fossil free!”

Cat Smith, Lancaster’s MP and Shadow minister for women and equalities said: “Fracking is not the answer to climate change; it’s been rejected by those who take our climate commitments seriously and it’s been rejected by the people of Lancashire through our democratic representatives. As a local MP and an alumni I’m delighted to see Lancaster University reject investing in this carbon-intensive industry.”

The announcement comes after a three year-long campaign, which gathered the support of over a thousand students, academics and staff at Lancaster University. Additionally Lancaster students have used a variety of creative direct action techniques, including staging a mock oil spill, creating an 105m² artwork, and occupying various university buildings.

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Twenty one UK universities have now made fossil free commitments including Oxford University, Glasgow University and the University of Warwick.

Globally, more than 500 institutions and 2,000 individuals have pledged to divest $3.4 trillion from fossil fuels.

These commitments have come from governments and investors from 43 countries, across multiple sectors including pension funds, health, education, philanthropy, faith, entertainment, climate justice and municipalities.