As well as divesting its endowment from fossil fuel companies, the University has also asked its endowment office, Oxford University Endowment Management (OUem) to engage with fund managers to request evidence of net zero carbon business plans across their portfolios. There will also be a new member of the Investment Committee, with experience of both endowment management, but with an additional focus on climate-conscious investment.
Oxford’s approach is based on its own world-leading academic research on climate- conscious business practices, the Oxford Martin Principles for Climate-Conscious Investment, These provide a framework for engagement between climate-conscious investors and companies across the world, helping them assess whether investments are compatible with transition to a more stable climate and the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Their work is just part of the sector-leading environmental research across Oxford in such areas as climate economics, biodiversity, resource security, transition in energy use and climate change modelling.
The new decision has been agreed among stakeholders across the University, including the Student Union, other student-led organisations, academic researchers and OUem, who manage investments for the University in the Oxford Endowment Fund (OEF). Over £3bn of endowment is managed for the University in the OEF, and many of the colleges and other trusts across the University.
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