Fossil Fuel Companies around the world degrade land, pollute water and the atmosphere, for example the Intergovernmental panel on Climate change (IPCC) found that in 2018 89% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry. Companies like BP spend millions to advertise their low-carbon energy and cleaner natural gas initiatives when in reality still 96% of their annual expenditure is still on oil and gas. In today's climate crisis there is only one solution, for a just and green transition to clean energy and to phase out fossil fuels entirely however the current speed at which we are doing this is not quick enough to stay under 1.5C. Therefore, at Keele University we strive to be a campus and University devoted to sustainability and a green future such as with the development of our Low Carbon Energy Generation Park generating up to 50% of the campus’ electricity.
What is Fossil Free careers:
Fossil Free Careers is a campaign introduced to UK Universities by People and Planet with a main aim to get University Careers Services to end their relationships with oil, gas, and mining industries. The campaign calls to:
1. Refuse all new relationships with oil, gas and mining companies
2. Decline to renew any current relationships with oil, gas and mining companies after the contractually obligated period ends.
3. Adopt a publicly available Ethical Careers Policy that explicitly excludes oil, gas and mining companies from recruitment opportunities.
Currently one University and eight Students’ Unions have made the pledge to Fossil Free Careers. Keele Students’ Union just made this pledge through an All-Student Meeting. Learn more here.
What are We doing:
We pledge to work towards a Fossil Free Careers Department alongside our current actions to continue to strive towards a more sustainable future. This includes working with the Institute for Sustainable Futures and current Fossil Fuel companies to aid them to make the switch to clean and low carbon energy. The Careers Department will also begin advertising more sustainable and ethical companies to our student body through meet the companies' events and through creating positive partnerships.
The Students’ Union have passed a motion to ban any fossil fuel companies within the Union and pledge to refuse any future partnerships with fossil fuel and mining companies on the list of 250 companies that are banned.
At our January 2023 UGM students voted to amend our Fossil Free Careers Policy and include that Keele SU will create positive partnerships with green transitioning fossil fuel and mining companies to limit the demonisation of some students’ career paths.
What companies to boycott:
Fossil free careers have put together a list of 50 mining companies that should be boycotted that you can find at Fossil Free Careers Campaign Targets. With this list of 50 mining companies plus the carbon Underground 200 list, which is a list of the top 200 fossil fuel companies all together creates a list of 250 top companies that we must aid in transitioning and sanction actions that contribute to the climate crisis.