The Students’ Unions at UCL and Bath have voted overwhelmingly to boycott fossil fuel recruiters as part of the student-led Fossil Free Careers campaign. The campaign, coordinated by student-led campaigning charity People & Planet, demands UK universities end oil, gas and mining industry recruitment on campus.
As a result of student campaigning by the Bath People & Planet Society and the UCL Climate Action Society, UCL and Bath Students’ Unions are now mandated to actively campaign for their universities’ Careers Services to implement an Ethical Careers Policy that excludes oil, gas and mining companies from recruiting on campus.
To date, 22 students’ unions have passed motions in support of Fossil Free Careers, and 11 universities have fully committed to excluding oil and gas recruitment from their careers departments. In terms of student numbers, UCL is the largest university yet to make such a commitment. Both UCL and Bath have large engineering departments which have historically been a strong recruitment pipeline into the fossil fuel industry.
Now, with the backing of the students’ unions at UCL and Bath, student organisers are turning their attention to university management to demand they commit to Fossil Free Careers and end extractive industry recruitment on campus.
Riane Lee, the President of UCL Climate Action Society, said:
As the world continues to bear witness to the destructive and long-lasting impacts of climate breakdown, spearheaded by fossil fuel corporations, we demand that our universities stop actively promoting industries that stand in the way of a just and sustainable future. It’s great to see UCL Students’ Union join the national movement holding the fossil fuel industry to account. Together, we will continue to push for an ethical careers policy and an end to oil, gas and mining recruitment on campus.
Xandi Drysdale, the Chair of Bath People & Planet Society said:
We’re proud that Bath People and Planet’s Fossil Free Careers campaign is now officially endorsed by the Students’ Union. With this support, we can approach the University backed by clear student voices, and start serious conversations about the platform Bath gives to fossil fuel companies. This is just the beginning but we are hopeful that the university is listening and motivated to keep pushing!
Hannah Szeto, Climate Justice Campaigns and Movement Building Coordinator at People & Planet, said:
These two victories at UCL and Bath represent a huge step forward in the fight to reclaim our universities from the influence of the fossil fuel industry. Both universities have historically been recruitment strongholds for oil and gas companies, but now students have said loud and clear that they won’t tolerate these destructive industries being given a platform on campus. It’s time for management at UCL and Bath to take their students’ demands seriously, and cut their recruitment ties with these companies once and for all.