FOSSIL FREE NORTHWESTERN

Northwestern taking out its investments wouldn't really change anything because we have so little invested in coal.

Northwestern has $17 million invested in coal companies, which would not put even a small dent in the coal industry. But we're not suggesting we can change the world singlehandedly. Divestment is all about coordinated, international action, and when hundreds of institutions around the globe divest, it can make a difference. This isn't about Northwestern bankrupting the coal industry-- it's about being a part of a bigger solution. 

The endowment shouldn't be used to make a political statement.

The purpose of the endowment is to gain as much interest for Northwestern as possible, which is then used to fund professorships, scholarships and part of our operating budget. But while the endowment is not intended to make political statements, what Northwestern invests in is inherently political. By investing in coal companies, Northwestern is already making a political statement saying we condone an industry that's degrading the earth and human lives. Divesting from coal and fossil fuels would ensure our investments line up with our values and that the political statement we're making with our investments is one we want to make. 

Divestment would harm our endowment.

Only $17 million of Northwestern's nearly $10 billion endowment is invested in coal companies, which amounts to slightly over one percent of our endowment. Divesting from coal would therefore have a negligible impact on our endowment as a whole, if it had an impact at all. Further, given the drop in return of coal stocks (see the "Economics" tab for more details), it's quite possible that by not divesting we've actually harmed our endowment more than we would have had we already divested. 

Divestment is hypocritical, because we still depend on fossil fuels.

We can't just cut fossil fuels out of our daily use tomorrow, but we can cut them out of our endowment. Doing so isn't hypocritical-- it facilitates a turn away from the energies that are harming people and our planet and helps build up sustainable alternatives like wind and solar. By divesting from coal, we're building political power against the industry, which will reduce the industry's lobbying power and accelerate a transition to renewables. So we don't need to not use coal or fossil fuels to divest from them; by divesting, we can actually help reduce society's dependence on fossil fuels. 

There are more effective ways to address climate change than divestment.

We're not arguing that divestment is the only way to combat climate change. The fight against climate change is going to be a long one, and it's going to be a worldwide effort. Researching new energies, creating and passing policies, and taking individual actions are all necessary to make a difference. And Northwestern can certainly play a role in all this-- we can adopt sustainability principles into our investment strategy, commit to carbon neutrality or purchase renewable energy. But these efforts are undermined if we're still invested in fossil fuels, especially coal. Northwestern can and should pursue any tactics possible to address climate change, and divestment should be a part of this approach.