Fossil Fuel related investments
Dear Leeds Arts University/Leeds College of Art,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
1. We would like to know how much do Leeds Arts University invests in fossil fuels per year and the names of those companies. According to data from campaign group People & Planet, the university has not made a commitment to divest from fossil fuels yet which suggests the university is not responsibly investing.
2. Next, what plans you have to divest from fossil fuel investment, following example of University of Leeds, who withdrew £3.6 million worth of investment this year after 83 percent of students expressed their dissatisfaction. And after Leeds Trinity was claimed to be a small, specialist institution that “lacked resources to devote to sustainability”, according to Chris Saltmarsh, Co-Director for Climate Change Campaigns at People & Planet.
3. An outline of the Sustainability Committee plans to directly commit to invest in renewable energy. 76 universities now have pledges to divest from fossil fuel companies, according to campaign group People & Planet’s updated University League Table. But only seven have commitments to directly invest in renewables, the data reveals.
4. List your yearly targets to be carbon neutral by 2030, in light of Leeds City Council declaring a Climate Emergency in March 2019. The University of Leeds commit to a 2030 net-zero carbon footprint target and a drive to achieve no direct carbon emissions by 2050.
5. How you are engaging with the Leeds Climate Commission that is a city wide conversation with residents, businesses, public sector organisations, the third sector and trade unions on developing actions and milestones as part of your duty to help the city reach its target. The outcome is to be reported to the executive board by the end of 2019.
6. If this university has officially declared a climate emergency.
Thank you and we await your response.
Yours faithfully,
Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
Dear Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
Many thanks for your email dated 23/10/2019 relating to fossil fuel
related investments at Leeds Arts University.
Your request is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and will be answered within twenty working days.
If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best wishes,
Katie
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From: Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
<[FOI #614722 email]>
Sent: 23 October 2019 11:40
To: LAU Freedom of Information <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Fossil Fuel related investments
Dear Leeds Arts University/Leeds College of Art,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
1. We would like to know how much do Leeds Arts University invests in
fossil fuels per year and the names of those companies. According to data
from campaign group People & Planet, the university has not made a
commitment to divest from fossil fuels yet which suggests the university
is not responsibly investing.
2. Next, what plans you have to divest from fossil fuel investment,
following example of University of Leeds, who withdrew £3.6 million worth
of investment this year after 83 percent of students expressed their
dissatisfaction. And after Leeds Trinity was claimed to be a small,
specialist institution that “lacked resources to devote to
sustainability”, according to Chris Saltmarsh, Co-Director for Climate
Change Campaigns at People & Planet.
3. An outline of the Sustainability Committee plans to directly commit to
invest in renewable energy. 76 universities now have pledges to divest
from fossil fuel companies, according to campaign group People & Planet’s
updated University League Table. But only seven have commitments to
directly invest in renewables, the data reveals.
4. List your yearly targets to be carbon neutral by 2030, in light of
Leeds City Council declaring a Climate Emergency in March 2019. The
University of Leeds commit to a 2030 net-zero carbon footprint target and
a drive to achieve no direct carbon emissions by 2050.
5. How you are engaging with the Leeds Climate Commission that is a city
wide conversation with residents, businesses, public sector organisations,
the third sector and trade unions on developing actions and milestones as
part of your duty to help the city reach its target. The outcome is to be
reported to the executive board by the end of 2019.
6. If this university has officially declared a climate emergency.
Thank you and we await your response.
Yours faithfully,
Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Dear Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
I am writing further to your email dated 23/10/2019 relating to fossil
fuel related investments at Leeds Arts University.
I can confirm that the University holds the requested information, which
has been detailed in red below.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of this response and
should be addressed to: the Vice-Chancellor, Leeds Arts University,
Blenheim Walk, Leeds, LS2 9AQ.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.
Yours sincerely,
Katie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
<[FOI #614722 email]>
Sent: 23 October 2019 11:40
To: LAU Freedom of Information <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Fossil Fuel related investments
Dear Leeds Arts University/Leeds College of Art,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
1. We would like to know how much do Leeds Arts University invests in
fossil fuels per year and the names of those companies. According to data
from campaign group People & Planet, the university has not made a
commitment to divest from fossil fuels yet which suggests the university
is not responsibly investing.
Leeds Arts University does not invest in fossil fuel companies. We have no
plans to divest as we have not invested.
2. Next, what plans you have to divest from fossil fuel investment,
following example of University of Leeds, who withdrew £3.6 million worth
of investment this year after 83 percent of students expressed their
dissatisfaction. And after Leeds Trinity was claimed to be a small,
specialist institution that “lacked resources to devote to
sustainability”, according to Chris Saltmarsh, Co-Director for Climate
Change Campaigns at People & Planet.
Whilst it is commendable that large Universities are seeking to divest
from their investments in fossil fuel companies, Leeds Arts University
does not invest in them.
3. An outline of the Sustainability Committee plans to directly commit to
invest in renewable energy. 76 universities now have pledges to divest
from fossil fuel companies, according to campaign group People & Planet’s
updated University League Table. But only seven have commitments to
directly invest in renewables, the data reveals.
We have invested directly in our own renewable systems by introducing
Solar Panels on our latest construction project. We will continue to look
for opportunities to utilise renewables where it is feasibly possible.
4. List your yearly targets to be carbon neutral by 2030, in light of
Leeds City Council declaring a Climate Emergency in March 2019. The
University of Leeds commit to a 2030 net-zero carbon footprint target and
a drive to achieve no direct carbon emissions by 2050.
We are currently reviewing our targets in line with the Higher Education
sector but good progress has been made against our 2005/08 baseline.
5. How you are engaging with the Leeds Climate Commission that is a city
wide conversation with residents, businesses, public sector organisations,
the third sector and trade unions on developing actions and milestones as
part of your duty to help the city reach its target. The outcome is to be
reported to the executive board by the end of 2019.
We will be attending the State of the City event in December hosted by
Leeds City Council, the theme of the event being Climate Emergency.
6. If this university has officially declared a climate emergency.
No, but that does not mean we are not actively engaging in sustainability
initiatives or awareness.
Thank you and we await your response.
Yours faithfully,
Leeds YouthStrike4Climate
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #614722 email]
Is [Leeds College of Art request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Leeds College of Art? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[1]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[2]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[3]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
2. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
3. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
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