BUSINESS NEWS - “In the grand scheme of things the decision you make on 4 December is not just about you.
“It is about your children, your students’ futures, and the lives of millions of young people across the country who deserve a chance at life within a reasonably stable environment,” Fossil Free UCT and UCT Green Campus Initiative have told the University of Cape Town (UCT) in an open letter.
They want UCT to commit to divesting from fossil fuels at the upcoming council meeting on 4 December.
In the letter addressed to the UCT Council, the groups urged it to fully adopt the fossil fuel divestment recommendation from the UCT University Panel for Responsible Investment (UPRI).
South Africa emitted over 450 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, making it the largest emitter in Africa and the 13th largest in the world by country.
For the past eight years, the Fossil Free UCT campaign has tried to persuade UCT to phase out all its investments in coal, oil and gas.
Together with academics, students, Cape Town school learners and NGOs, they have written to the UCT Council and launched several petitions in this regard.
In December 2020, the UCT Convocation voted in favour of divestment, and the UPRI published its recommendations in August 2021, advising the UCT Foundation and Council to commit to fully divesting from fossil fuels by 31 December 2029 or earlier.
