Dozens of protesters gathered in the quad as part of a sit-in organized by campus organization Climate Action Carleton (CAC) just before a Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Dec. 3.
Students participated to encourage Carleton University to divest the money they have invested in fossil fuel industry into companies that support more sustainable industries.
Fifteen other Canadian universities, including the University of Toronto and McGill, have signed on to the Investing in Climate Action Charter signifying a commitment to divestment.
Alexander Zelenski, co-lead of CAC’s research and advocacy branch, told the Charlatan before the protest the group had asked the university to divest from fossil fuels last year. He said he hoped the sit-in would remind the Carleton board of student recommendations ahead of their meeting.
“Our goal was to pressure them as much as we can up until that point,” Zelenski said.
University spokesperson Steven Reid wrote in an email to the Charlatan the university is considering sustainable investment.
“Carleton University is committed to engaging in discussions with students about our responsible investing approach and how to effectively address climate change concerns,” Reid wrote.
Stephanie Vienneau, a third-year environmental studies student and CAC action lead, was a key organizer of the sit-in. She said the protest showed the university that students care about its investment practices.
“We are showing as much support for divestment as we can to show the university how many people support this issue and how many people want to see it happen for Carleton,” Vienneau said at the protest.
It doesn’t make sense to study about the climate crisis at this university and then see this very institution funding the climate crisis
—SAAD KHAN, CUSA councilor
In a speech at the sit-in, BoG student representative Holden Heppler, who has been involved with CAC as part of its outreach team, said he would advocate for divestment.
“[It is] long overdue that we divest,” Heppler said. “Carleton needs to be a leader [in sustainability], not a follower.”
“Carleton struggles to be a leader and a ground breaker in terms of universities. It prefers to go with safer options,” Weary said. “Unfortunately, investment in fossil fuels is not the safer option.”
Weary was not the only leader in attendance. Ottawa Centre Green Party representative Angela Keller-Herzog attended, as well as CUSA vice president (student issues) Valentina Vera Gonzalez and Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) president Sami Islam.
CUSA councillors such as Saad Khan and Francesca Lepore were also at the sit-in.
“It is super important to come here and show support to make sure the students know that CUSA supports this movement,” Gonzalez said at the protest.
Carleton English professor Barbara Leckie also spoke at the protest.
“Often it is read as financial liability to divest, which is just wrong,” Leckie said. “Climate change often gets seen as [a] political issue when in fact it’s not a political issue. It’s a human issue.”
Carleton notes its high ranking on the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2020 on its website. Vienneau said the university’s pride was not consistent with its practices.
“[Carleton] tends to pride themselves on sustainability when really they’re still not accomplishing divestment,” Vienneau said. “So many other schools across Canada don’t have the ranking in sustainability that we do and have already done so.”
Khan, a faculty of engineering and design councillor, said at the protest he was frustrated the university’s investment practices were incongruent with its teaching.
“It doesn’t make sense to study about the climate crisis at this university and then see this very institution funding the climate crisis,” Khan said.
Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG) councillor Anthony Valenti agreed.
“Students provide over $300 million [each year] to this university in tuition alone and we deserve for not a penny to go into the fossil fuel industry,” Valenti said at the protest.
Reid wrote in the email the university has long held a responsible investment policy.
“[Carleton’s] policy is based on the belief that integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into the investment decision-making process, and engagement with portfolio companies, is effective in creating positive action in mitigating climate change,” Reid wrote.
Carleton is currently reviewing its investment approach, according to Reid. The BoG is set to meet next on March 10.
Featured image by Isaac Phan Nay.
