Tell Wellcome and the Gates Foundation to keep it in the ground
In March 2015, the Guardian newspaper launched an unprecedented campaign intended to use its international influence to drive forward action on climate change. It decided to do so by adding its weight to the fastest-growing divestment campaign in history, calling on institutional investors - universities, unions, pension funds, faith groups, and more besides - to move their money from the fossil fuel companies driving catastrophic climate change, and towards sustainable, renewable solutions. The Guardian focused its demands on the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighting the conflict of interest between these foundations' outstanding commitments to global health, and their betting against action on climate change through investing in the fossil fuel industry.
In April, medical students from across the globe - led by the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (the representative body of medical students internationally) - published an open letter in support of the campaign. You can read the text on our website, and further coverage in the Guardian.
If, like us, you're convinced that it's time for health organisations to ditch their dirty investments, here are a few things you can do:
In April, medical students from across the globe - led by the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (the representative body of medical students internationally) - published an open letter in support of the campaign. You can read the text on our website, and further coverage in the Guardian.
If, like us, you're convinced that it's time for health organisations to ditch their dirty investments, here are a few things you can do:
- Sign the Guardian petition on the Keep it in the Ground campaign website, and share with friends, colleagues, tutors and anyone else who might be interested.
- If you're a health worker supportive of the campaign, get in touch with the Guardian (and/or us!) as they are looking for support, and possible spokespeople.
- Are you funded by Gates, Wellcome or other grant organisations whose dirty energy investments are undermining your research? Then write to them, or let us know to help coordinate a collective demonstration of the inconsistency of better health and fossil fuel dependence.
- Read more in our Unhealthy Investments report.