UEA student activists joined a protest outside the offices of Universities UK (UUK) on 19th June to demand action on climate change, leading to an agreement that UUK will discuss proposals for universities to “divest” from fossil fuel companies.

Protesters argued that UUK, the national organisation that represents and supports universities, was refusing to engage with the issue of fossil fuel “divestment” – a phrase that means ending university investment in fossil fuel companies. The demonstration, organised by the Fossil Free campaign, followed a previous action where students staged a mock auction outside the UUK offices, with vice chancellors bidding for shares in fossil fuels. However, after the head of UUK discussed the issue with student representatives, the organisation agreed to place the issue on the agenda of a meeting of university finance managers and of UUK’s trustee board. UUK also agreed to make a public statement on the issue of fossil fuel divestment.

Fossil Free is a student-led campaign which calls on large institutions such as universities to end their investment in fossil fuel companies, and to support renewable energy instead. The campaign began in the USA, where 12 universities have already agreed to divest, and is supported by the UK’s National Union of Students.

Sam Alston, a UEA third-year student who took part in the protest, said: “We are thrilled about the positive response we received and we eagerly await the results of the British Universities Finance Directors Group meeting. I hope that this marks a turning point for UK universities taking the threat of climate change seriously”.

Dominic O’Hagan, a student at the University of Aberdeen, said: “Universities represented by UUK have an estimated £5.2bn invested in the fossil fuel industry. Students are rightfully [sic] angry that their universities are funding companies profiting from climate change instead of investing in a clean energy future”.

Fossil Free activists at UEA have amassed over 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for divestment. UEA management have so far rejected proposals for divestment, arguing that the university “is not a campaigning organisation” and that it does not “does not seek to take positions on sensitive or controversial issues which do not further…our charitable purposes“.