Cambridge University’s decision follows a campaign by students and academics at the British university.
Cambridge University has temporarily stopped accepting donations from fossil fuel companies in response to growing scrutiny and pressure in academic circles. The moratorium on accepting funds from oil and gas companies was proposed by academics concerned about their influence on academic research.
The university said the suspension was implemented “in light of its commitment to tackling climate change through a transition to a zero-carbon world”. The moratorium will last until the process for accepting donations is revised.
According to the student group Cambridge Climate Justice, this is the first time that a UK university has decided to suspend research funding partnerships with the fossil fuel industry.
“Accepting funding from fossil fuel companies validates the industry at a time when it is threatening the future viability of life on Earth, not least through the development of new oil and gas infrastructure,” told to the Financial Times Jason Scott-Warren, professor of modern literature at Cambridge, who supported the moratorium.
In a statement, Cambridge Climate Justice highlighted the measure as “a major step towards ending greenwashing, safeguarding the integrity of research, protecting academic freedom and ending institutional support for an industry that profits from the damage caused to people and the planet. This is a fundamental step towards a permanent fossil-free research policy.”
The measure was taken after a report led by Nigel Topping, former UN climate change envoy, warned of the “high reputational risk” associated with Cambridge funding from fossil fuel companies, recommending severing relations with them and switching to renewable energy companies.
According to the independent report, oil and gas groups have donated an average of 3.3 million pounds a year to the university over the last six years.
This study was commissioned by the University Council in response to a proposal made by members of the university in July 2022 calling for an end to all sponsorships and collaborations with companies involved in the fossil fuel industry.
According to the Financial Times’ analysis of university data, British companies Shell and BP donated at least 19.7 million pounds in philanthropic and research funds to the university between 2016 and 2023.
Both companies have supported research in Cambridge into technologies to drive the transition to cleaner energy. These include carbon capture and storage, a technology criticized by some experts for diverting attention from the need to reduce emissions.
While Shell confirms that its investment in the university over the last three years has focused on the transition to cleaner energies, BP says that it has not been involved in the oil and gas side of university research over the last five years.
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