UMass Announces it Will Sell Off its Fossil Fuel Investments

After a 2 month debate, the University of Massachusetts system confirmed last week that it will eliminate direct investments in fossil fuels from its endowment. A decision that has been making headlines, as UMass is the first public university in the country to do so…

How did the issue arise? The students—a large group of UMass students merged together to make a statement, protesting their concerns regarding the investment and the affects it will have on the environment; and it looks like the President and the board agree. In a statement, President Marty Meehan stated that the change reflects the university’s commitment to take on environment challenges and the importance of a clean environment. In a recent Princeton review, UMass’ flagship campus in Amherst, ranked 21^st out of 50 in a Top 50 Green Colleges ranking report.

Nowadays, not only are students attending college to further their education, but they often influence important social changes that begin on college campuses. In this case, UMass students were on the forefront of addressing this issue they felt so strongly about. Just last year, the UMass system took into consideration students’ concerns about investments in coal, and agreed to cut direct investments.

Looks like they have done it again! Nice work students!