Last Thursday, UCT's Convocation, the body comprising all alumni and academic staff, passed a vote overwhelmingly in favour (40 votes in favour and 8  against) of our motion calling for divestment from fossil fuels, and amendment calling for UCT to lead a coalition for divestment in South Africa.

May 2019: Protest for divestment on campus

UCT's Convocation, the body comprising all alumni and academic staff, meets on Thursday 12 December 2019 at Kramer Building Lecture Theatre 1, Middle Campus at 17h00 for 17h30. For the second time, we will be proposing a motion on divestment. 

How would you advise people to handle disinvestment with their financial advisors in terms of the funds they are invested in? Would it be a simple "switch all funds out of fossil fuels"...something like that?

The following was sent out to our mailing list in response to the recent gazetting of the integrated resource plan in South Africa. For news straight to your inbox, sign up to our mailing list here

Earlier this month in Cape Town, Financing the Future brought together over 300 leaders from 44 countries focusing on the intersection of climate justice, finance, energy access and social justice.

There were a number of events that took place throughout the country inline with the global climate strike / week for climate which saw more than 7million people world wide come out in support of climate justice.

Huge momentum on divesting from fossil fuels as unprecedented faith based commitments join a strong statement against shareholder engagement strategies 

On 20 September, the youth of Cape Town will take to the streets for the third time this year to protest the SA Government’s lack of action on the climate emergency: South Africa is warming at a rate nearly double the global average.

Dealing comprehensively with the climate crisis arguably demands cultural, political and social changes that run far deeper than just dropping coal power in favour of wind and solar.

As our new Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources fights to keep our economy in the dark ages, aided and abetted by a media sector credulous enough to repeat 'clean coal' rhetoric…

We held our first-ever 'Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds' events in Cape Town and Johannesburg this week, focused on asset owners, particularly retirement fund boards.

You are invited to a Mission-Aligned Investing Seminar for South African leaders in philanthropy, faith, education and city governance.

The early effects of global climate breakdown, from the devastating Northern Cape drought to Cyclone Idai, are hitting South Africa.

The Global Climate Divest-Invest Summit is coming to Cape Town in September 2019!

Under the banner of the African Climate Alliance, Capetonian school children protested on Friday 14th June, ahead of Youth Day, asking adults and leaders to take steps to protect their future from climate and ecological breakdown.

We've just published an article on the Daily Maverick explaining how non-profits can multiply their impacts…

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, which is part of the world's largest sovereign wealth fund managing $tn in assets, has dropped $13 billion in fossil fuel investments, the largest single divestment to date.

The first climate risk-related resolution tabled at Standard Bank’s AGM on Thursday failed to pass when 61% of shareholders voted against it.

Even Eskom's outgoing CEO, Phakamani Hadebe, has observed that “every year, fewer investors are willing to fund fossil fuel”.