Climate activists are celebrating after Aberystwyth University pledged to end recruitment relationships with fossil fuel and mining companies.
University says it will “no longer maintain collaborations or relationships” with fossil fuel, mining, or tobacco companies renewed ethical career policy It is published on its website.
Josie Mizen, co-director of climate justice at People & Planet, said:
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“By doing this, the university is sending a clear message: it puts the future of its students ahead of the interests of the fossil fuel industry.
“As the climate crisis escalates, it is by no means clear that universities have a key role to play in turning the tide on the fossil fuel industry.”
“We hope more universities follow the lead before it’s too late.”
With this announcement, Aberystwyth becomes the 10th UK university and third university to publish such a policy, following similar commitments from Swansea University in November 2023 and Wrexham University in December 2022.
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Aberystwyth made the commitment after negotiating with People & Planet, the UK’s largest student-led campaigning charity.
The charity will co-ordinate the UK-wide Fossil Free Careers campaign. This requires university career services to adopt an ethical career policy that excludes oil, gas, and mining companies from recruitment relationships. “End of recruitment pipeline” to the extractive industry.
Fossil Free Careers is endorsed by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Union of Universities and Universities (UCU), as well as 26 campus-based students and workers union branches.
Student activists across the UK are using this latest victory to call for similar exemptions on other campuses, particularly Bangor University, where students have been negotiating fossil fuel industry exemptions since September.
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Brendan Montague is the editor of ecologist.
