The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity (IPFI) released a white paper this week, repudiating the divestment movement and reiterating the organization’s hardline stance against investment strategies fueled by political trends. IPFI’s decision to release the paper follows the New York City comptroller’s Request for Proposals in support of the city’s intended divestment strategy for three …
Late last month, Barron’s ran an opinion piece that lays out the futility of divestment from fossil fuel given the critical role of industry in developing and investing in proactive climate solutions —a fact often ignored by those who push empty gesture divestment. The authors of the piece, Thomas H. Stoner Jr. and David Schimel, …
Leader of the divestment effort Bill McKibben took to The Guardian this weekend to discuss how divestment is impacting fossil fuel companies directly. The only thing missing from his piece was facts. Here’s a takedown of some of McKibben’s main points: Myth: There have been 1,000 divestment commitments to date and just under $8 trillion …
The New York State pension will again be in divestment activists’ cross-hairs in 2019 as groups like 350.org plan a series of grassroots efforts to push Comptroller DiNapoli to sell the fund’s stocks in energy companies. Despite the fact that such a gesture is of only symbolic value (read: sell just means other investors will …
As the divestment movement grinds to a halt in the wake of continued rejections, those with concerns about the environment should be glad to see pressured entities focused on real solutions over empty gestures. While universities have been quick to dismiss divestment as ineffective and fiscally irresponsible, they have undertaken significant programs to green their …
In 2018, the ‘Divestment Movement’ dwindled into the ‘Divestment Suggestion’ as a number of academic institutions rejected activist calls demanding divestment. Once again, after conducting their own independent research and assessing the situation for themselves, many institutions found that divestment isn’t actionable at all and is instead an empty, symbolic gesture – a sentiment echoed …
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) for 2018 has been released and the verdict is in: Ireland is the worst country in the European Union on climate action for the second year in a row. Why is this relevant? Well, beyond an abysmal performance on climate action, this year Ireland also made headlines for being …
As one of the world’s preeminent universities, Harvard continues to be a target for divestment activists. But to their dismay, Harvard keeps rejecting them. Recently, students decided to put yet another pro-divestment referendum up for vote to the Undergraduate Council. The referendum asks for Harvard to “completely divest its endowment from holdings in the fossil …
Middlebury College is making headlines once again as divestment activists use the institution’s sustainability goals to move it towards divesting its endowment from fossil fuels. Last week, Middlebury President Laurie Patton wrote an email to the school’s students, faculty, and staff announcing that the college’s board of trustees would be working on a series of …
An OpEd featured in Crain’s New York this month lays out the high costs of divestment for New Yorkers, and fact checks the lack of progress seen in the city to date. Here is what IPAA’s senior vice president of operations and public affairs had to say: “Last month divestment proponents claimed the movement is …
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