London School of Tropical Hygiene & Medicine commits to full fossil fuel divestment

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (‘LSHTM’) has become the sixth member institution of the University of London to make a commitment to exclude all fossil fuel extractor companies from their investments. This action is in contrast to the slow moves being made by its fellow members to do likewise and take urgent action in response to the climate crisis.

LSHTM’s commitment brings University of London member institutions who have gone fully fossil free up to 35%. If The London School of Economics and Political Science is included - which has made a partial commitment to divest from coal and tar sands - this takes University of London member institution commitments up to 41%. Nationally, 55% of UK universities have made some form of divestment commitment.

LSHTM’s announcement comes in the wake of a series of commitments from Oxbridge colleges. Over a period of eight days, from the 18th-26th February, the Cambridge Colleges of Pembroke and Trinity, and Oxford’s Somerville College made full divestment commitments. It is evident that full divestment from fossil fuel companies is now perceived as a common sense decision by the higher education sector.

With the City of London at the financial centre of the UK and fossil fuel extractor company offices being located within the city, the University of London has a responsibility to take seriously their proximity to these destructive business practices and take meaningful action.

Laura Clayson, Co-Director: Climate Campaigns at People & Planet said: “We are incredibly pleased that LSHTM has transformed its 2015 coal divestment commitment into a full one. However, this action is in opposition to the wider trend of their fellow University of London member institutions, who are behind the national curve in joining the fossil free divestment movement. As a federal university based in a city that prides itself on being world-leading, their failure to start work on undoing their complicity in the climate crisis is disgraceful. The University of London speaks of its proud “history of global engagement since its founding in 1836” but what does this mean without solidarity action with those on the frontlines of fossil fuel extraction and the climate crisis?”

An LSHTM spokesperson said: “LSHTM is a world leader in research on the health implications of climate change and policy responses. We are committed to improving our environmental sustainability, including through the holdings in our investment portfolio.”

Guillermo Lluch, Divest Birkbeck said: “LSHTM has had a crucial role in detecting, treating and preventing disease in its history, by divesting from fossil fuels not only does it show its commitment to a fairer and healthier planet, it also serves as an example to many other London universities, such as Birkbeck which continues to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in fossil fuel companies. We have urged Birkbeck to pledge to forge a Green New Deal, to decarbonise and to divest from all its fossil fuel investments. Birkbeck too is proud of its heritage, we believe these investments contradict Birkbeck's ethos, it is time for Birkbeck to divest!”

---------------------------------------
 

Notes:
 

• People & Planet define full divestment as divestment from all fossil fuel extractor company holdings. Partial divestment is defined as divestment from only some fossil fuel extractor company holdings - usually those involved with the extraction of coal and tar sands.
   

• University of London member institutions: https://london.ac.uk/ways-study/study-campus-london/member-institutions
   

• UK university victories - 85 of 155 universities have made fossil free commitments: https://peopleandplanet.org/fossil-free-victories 
   

• Status of University of London member institution divestments: