UK universities have over £20 billion(1) invested across the global economy.
These investments are meant to support students and further universities' long term mission. But they are flowing into an economic system that is working against the interests of students and the world they will graduate into – a world of deepening inequality, deadly international conflicts and climate and ecological breakdown.
The Invest for Change campaign is working to change this. We support student leaders to campaign for their universities to invest in the interests of young people, frontline communities and the planet, not against them. To invest in a liveable, just future for all.
To invest for change.
We call on universities to:
Divest
from industries that are driving social and environmental injustice, starting with arms and fossil fuel companies.
Challenge
investment managers and companies in university investment portfolios through active stewardship techniques.
Invest
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in environmental and social justice solutions like community-owned renewable energy project, affordable housing and the circular economy (often called 'impact investments').
But what does this mean in practice?
Divest: Commit publicly to excluding investments in fossil fuel companies and arms companies across all investments and instruct the university's asset managers to remove any existing investments in these companies within a reasonable timeframe. This must be announced publicly.
Challenge: Challenge companies on environmentally destructive practices and vote at AGMs for environmental and social justice, e.g. for company transition plans and against directors blocking climate action.
Transform: In consultation with students and staff, develop a radical responsible investment policy setting standards for investment manager reviews and appointments.
Invest: Allocate a growing percentage of overall investments to impact investments which directly finance solutions to environmental and social injustice, such as renewable energy or social housing projects.
What we want:
Who we are:
Invest for Change is a campaign which aims to transform how universities invest their money to secure a more just, liveable future for all. We support students to run campaigns on campus, as well as working directly with universities.
Our campaign is run by Students Organising for Sustainability UK, with support and expertise from our Steering Group, and funding from Friends Provident Foundation.
Get involved:
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Get in touch to see how we can support you and your university to take action to Invest for Change.
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Check out our resource bank to help develop your Invest for Change campaign
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Book a workshop or meeting with us to learn more about the campaign, or start your campaign planning
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See if your university has a publicly available responsible investment policy and how you can engage with it
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Check out where your university stands on divestment, using People & Planet's fossil free scorecard
(1) The £20 billion figure is taken from a conservative estimate of current UK university endowment funds and based on the general assumption that majority of universities invest using their endowment funds.
Images from the 2024 Divestment, Reinvestment and Ethical Finance Trainings for Students' Union officers and campaigners.