The University of Minnesota’s commitment to sustainability is not an adequate goal in the midst of our current climate crisis. Sustainability is simply the bare minimum neutral point of not doing any more damage. We must do more to attempt to reverse the damage that has already been done. A regenerative culture is healthy, resilient and adaptable; it cares for the planet and it cares for life in the awareness that this is the most effective way to create a thriving future for all of humanity. To combat the climate crisis, we must not stop at sustainability, but must move toward restorative and regenerative practices.
UMN Students for Climate Justice demands that the University of Minnesota:
1) Declares a Climate and Ecological Emergency
2) Discloses Endowment and Investment Data and Performance
3) Divests From Fossil Fuels
4) Reinvests in Community-Controlled Funds
5) Incorporates Climate and Environmental Justice into University-Wide Curriculum
Fundamentally, the University of Minnesota’s investments reflect its values, speaks volumes about its moral character, and model the world it wishes to see and have a hand in building. University of Minnesota students have the right and obligation to make their voices heard in this essential work. We have not led this charge, but now we join it. It is time for the University of Minnesota administration and leadership to do the same.
For a living document of our detailed demands:
