Our Divestment Win:

On December 5, 2019, the UBC Board of Governors declared its support for full divestment from fossil fuels. The announcement was paired with a declaration of climate emergency, recognizing the need for a “decisive shift away from fossil fuels” and “a rapid and just transition to a sustainable economy” in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

In committing to full divestment, UBC is finally breaking its ties with the fossil fuel industry and paving the way for other institutions to follow. This is a public denunciation of the fossil fuel industry and its responsibility for fueling the climate crisis and stalling action for decades.

How we won:

16 CJUBC members holding banners that call on UBC to divest from fossil fuels. From left to right, they read “Divest UBC”, “Divest Now”, and “We Denounce The Fossil Fuel Industry.”

UBC’s shift in position on divestment would not have been possible without years of pressure from UBC students and faculty, from the very first divestment organizers who circled faculty offices collecting signatures to every person who marched in the UBC Climate Strike to the students who packed the Board meeting with signs and songs.

UBC's Student Union Building with a banner dropped from the roof that reads "We won't rest until UBC Divests"

This would not have been possible without the students who refused to give up despite constant rejection, who continued to organize and pick through legal documents and show up for each other with compassion and courage throughout this fight. And to the thousands of people who maintained the pressure along the way - whether by emailing the Board, or painting a banner or bringing up the topic without fellow community members - this couldn’t have happened without your continued support.

What’s Next:

  • Students at the November meeting of the UBC Board of Directors, holding signs calling on UBC to divest from fossil fuels.

    UBC Commits to Divestment by 2030.

    The Board’s divestment commitment was upheld in April 2020 after the University contracted legal and financial analyses that confirmed the viability of divestment. In September, UBC stated it will divest fully by 2030, and sooner if possible.

  • A series of 4 images: students at the Wet'suwet'en Walk Out, students calling on UBC to divest, students holding posters for a UBC climate strike, and thousands of students gathering at the UBC September 2019 climate strike.

    Divestment Plus

    We are continuing to hold UBC accountable to follow through on this commitment, while also calling on them to speed it up in line with the urgency of the climate emergency. We are also advocating for UBC to go beyond divestment and fully integrate climate justice in their investment policy: check out our Divestment Plus demands.

  • Logo for the "Towards a Peoples Endowment" campaign, which consists of two multicoloured hands placed horizontally to each other. They hold space for community connection and represent reinvestment.

    Community Reinvestment Campaign

    In May 2021, we launched the community reinvestment campaign with SFU350, calling on UBC and SFU to reinvest 10% of assets into community impact investments, including affordable housing, local food systems, clean energy, social enterprises, cooperatives and more. We believe it's time to go beyond divestment and invest directly in building up a more democratic, equitable, sustainable local economy. Stay tuned for more updates!

  • Logo for the Divest Canada Coalition, which consists of a black maple leaf crossed out by an orange X.

    Divest Canada

    We are also a founding member of the Divest Canada Coalition, a network of student divestment organizers across so-called Canada launched in summer 2020. The coalition is calling on universities and colleges to divest from fossil fuels and other extractive industries, reject false solutions and invest in a just recovery. Through the coalition we are joining together with other campaigns across the country to support one another and amplify our impact. To learn more about what the coalition stands for, please check out and consider signing the Divest Canada Open Letter.