|
Having Won on Coal, Stanford Students Take Aim at Oil and Gas
Student rally targeting administration calls for full fossil fuel divestment.
October 20, 2025
Press Contacts:
Sophie Harrison // 650.862.3326 // [email protected] Charlie Jiang // 773.930.6723 // [email protected] |
|
STANFORD, CA October 20, 2025 — Last spring, Stanford University stepped out ahead of the pack, becoming the largest university thus far to realign its investment portfolio in response to the risks posed by climate change.
Upon the recommendation of its Advisory Panel for Investment Responsibility and Licensing (APIR-L), Stanford divested its nearly $19 billion endowment from the coal industry. Now, five months after their initial victory, the student movement is calling on the university to continue its bold leadership by further divesting from oil and natural gas.
Earlier today, students from Fossil Free Stanford organized a demonstration on the Stanford campus, preceding the first APIR-L meeting of the academic year. Student organizer Mikaela Osler said, “The student body is more inspired to action than ever after coal divestment. Our education is still funding and being funded by companies threatening our climate and peoples’ livelihoods. With our rally today, we showed our administration that we will keep taking a stand for full divestment from the fossil fuel industry."
Later this week, as part of the global divestment movement, the Fossil Free Stanford team will be fasting in solidarity with the Divest Harvard campaign in order to call attention to the urgent need for divestment in light of the social injustices caused by climate change.
“Last spring, I watched Harvard arrest a student rather than agree to an open public meeting about fossil fuel divestment. A week later, I saw my future school take the historic first step to divest from coal,” said Stanford freshman Courtney Pal. “As Stanford students, we stand with Divest Harvard as we work across our respective campuses to ensure a livable future for our generation.”
Fossil Free Stanford will also be holding two informational events at the upcoming Homecoming Weekend, welcoming alumni—including many of Stanford’s donors—back to campus. “We want the whole Stanford community to know that we’re not done yet,” Pal continued.
Upon the recommendation of its Advisory Panel for Investment Responsibility and Licensing (APIR-L), Stanford divested its nearly $19 billion endowment from the coal industry. Now, five months after their initial victory, the student movement is calling on the university to continue its bold leadership by further divesting from oil and natural gas.
Earlier today, students from Fossil Free Stanford organized a demonstration on the Stanford campus, preceding the first APIR-L meeting of the academic year. Student organizer Mikaela Osler said, “The student body is more inspired to action than ever after coal divestment. Our education is still funding and being funded by companies threatening our climate and peoples’ livelihoods. With our rally today, we showed our administration that we will keep taking a stand for full divestment from the fossil fuel industry."
Later this week, as part of the global divestment movement, the Fossil Free Stanford team will be fasting in solidarity with the Divest Harvard campaign in order to call attention to the urgent need for divestment in light of the social injustices caused by climate change.
“Last spring, I watched Harvard arrest a student rather than agree to an open public meeting about fossil fuel divestment. A week later, I saw my future school take the historic first step to divest from coal,” said Stanford freshman Courtney Pal. “As Stanford students, we stand with Divest Harvard as we work across our respective campuses to ensure a livable future for our generation.”
Fossil Free Stanford will also be holding two informational events at the upcoming Homecoming Weekend, welcoming alumni—including many of Stanford’s donors—back to campus. “We want the whole Stanford community to know that we’re not done yet,” Pal continued.
