To save the Planet from the threat of climate change, coal and oil must stay in the ground. Those who hold economic power can no longer stand by and watch: this is the rallying cry with which, from 5 to 13 May, thousands of people around the world will unite in the Global Divestment Mobilisation.

What activists are calling for

If it is wrong to wreck the climate, it is also wrong for our universities, pension funds, religious institutions, cities, museums and banks to profit from that destruction.

The activists' message could not be more direct. Climate change threatens the survival of our Planet and our civilisation. This issue can no longer be ignored — by anyone. Every time an institution chooses the path of divestment from fossil fuels, it weakens the economic and political power of the coal and oil giants, which have helped drag the Planet to the situation it finds itself in today. On the other hand, it frees up resources that can be deployed for the energy transition and for the protection of biodiversity and the natural environment.

How the Global Divestment Mobilisation works

The Global Divestment Mobilisation is promoted by the organisation 350.org, a global movement that coordinates a network of associations active in 188 countries. As the official website explains (also available in Italian), however, any organisation can create an event in its own city, choosing whatever approach it deems most effective. Activists can, for example, gather for a sit-in, organise a debate open to the public or a photography exhibition, or peacefully occupy a symbolic location in their area, take to the streets, prepare an enormous banner with a striking slogan… There are no limits to creativity: what matters is that the message is clear and reaches the widest possible audience. By filling in this form, you can register your event and join the global map of the mobilisation in your own right.

How much capital has been divested from coal and oil

The campaign for divestment from coal and oil, which began in 2011 on American university campuses, reached an important milestone at the end of 2016, breaking through the $5 trillion mark. We are talking about 688 institutional investors and 58,399 individual savers, across 76 countries: banks, pension funds, universities, local authorities, philanthropic organisations. Among those on this list are no fewer than 43 British universities (a quarter of the total), illustrious names such as the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio.

Opening photo © 350.org