MIT sit-in activists win climate action deal
A sit-in by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has ended after 116 days with an agreement on fossil fuel divestment
A sit-in by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has ended after 116 days with an agreement for a deal fossil fuel divestment.
Fossil Free MIT is the longest ever sit-in for fossil fuel divestment and has resulted in a deal being reached between student activists and MIT’s Vice President for Research, Maria Zuber.
Jeremy Poindexter, an MIT graduate student and member of Fossil Free MIT, said: “This agreement isn’t everything I was hoping to see—it’s missing fossil fuel divestment, and MIT still has more work to do to align itself with a 2°C future.”
Poindexter added: “But it’s progress, and it shows that principled, direct action can get real results. Sometimes taking a stand means sitting down.”
In a joint statement, the activists and Ms Zuber said: “Over the course of many productive conversations during the last few months, Maria Zuber, MIT’s Vice President for Research, and members of the student-led group Fossil Free MIT (FFMIT) have discussed their shared interests with respect to accelerating solutions to the urgent problem of global climate change.”
The agreement between MIT and its students covers four key areas that the university (pictured) will work on to enhance its existing Plan for Action on Climate Change.
MIT will aim for “carbon neutrality as soon as possible”; the formation of a “climate action advisory committee to advise and consult” on MIT’s Plan; the committee will work to “identify, develop, and publish engagement strategies and benchmarks”; and “Vice President Zuber will convene a forum to explore ethical dimensions of the climate issue.”
Fossil Free MIT member and PhD student, Josué Lopez, said: “Targeted fossil fuel divestment is a crucial missing step, but we’re working with what we’ve got… MIT wants to engage the fossil fuel industry, but engagement without accountability is a recipe for inaction. This agreement lays the groundwork for steering our partners to behavior and business plans consistent with 2°C. I’m glad that we’re part of this process, and if these companies don’t step up to the plate, we’ll be right here urging MIT to hold them accountable.”
