View source for Columbia Divest for Climate Justice

Columbia Divest for Climate Justice (CDCJ), formerly Barnard Columbia Divest, is a student activist group founded in fall 2012 that wants Columbia to divest from fossil fuels in their investments. They were active in the 2014 People's Climate March, protested [[Giving Day]]<ref>[http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2014/10/30/barnard-columbia-divest-creates-alternative-fossil-fuel-free-investment-fund Giving Day protest]</ref>, and were granted a meeting with [[PrezBo]] after protesting his [[Fun Run]].<ref>[http://bwog.com/2014/10/24/prezbo-agrees-to-meet-with-columbia-prison-divest/ Fun run protest]</ref> Other activities included disruption a BP event sponsored by the Center on Global Energy.<ref>[https://bwog.com/2016/02/breaking-columbia-divest-for-climate-justice-disrupts-british-petroleum-event/ BP event disruption]</ref>

After the Barnard and Columbia administrations responses diverged in 2014/2015, Barnard-Columbia Divest split into two groups to focus on each school individually. Columbia's [[ASCRI]] committee rejected the Barnard Columbia Divest proposal in May 2014.<ref>[https://www.finance.columbia.edu/files/gateway/content/sri/Final_Response_BCD.pdf ASCRI Response to Barnard Columbia Divest May 2014]</ref> <ref>[http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2014/05/14/acsri-votes-not-support-fossil-fuel-divestment-proposal Spectator: ACSRI votes no in 2014]</ref> However, in a meeting with BCD November 2014, President Bollinger committed to making a decision on divestment by the end of the academic year (unclear if he met this promise).<ref>[https://bwog.com/2014/11/prezbo-promises-bcd-decision-on-fossil-fuel-divestment/ Prezbo promises decision on divestment Nov 2014}</ref> 

CDCJ submitted another proposal in October 2015 that Columbia divest from all stocks or bonds in firms listed in the Carbon Underground 200; this was rejected by the committee in November 2015.<ref>[https://www.finance.columbia.edu/files/gateway/content/ACSRI%20Response%20to%20CDCJ%20Petition%20-%20Final%2011.19.15.pdf ASCRI response to CDCJ November 2015]</ref> On April 20, 2016 (in the middle of the CDCJ Low sit-in), ASCRI recommended the University become an Investor Signatory to the CDP Climate Change program, and later recommends divestment from coal used primarily for electricity production ("thermal coal") in February 2017.<ref>[https://www.finance.columbia.edu/files/gateway/content/ACSRI/4.20.16%20To%20Post%20Final%20CDP%20Signatory%20Recommendation.pdf ASCRI CDP Signatory recommendation]</ref> <ref>[https://www.finance.columbia.edu/files/gateway/content/ACSRI/ACSCRI%20Report.%20Feb%202017.%20Final.%20022217.pdf ASCRI February 2017 Report on Fossil Fuels]</ref> The University trustees vote in favor of both in March 2017.  The committee's 2016 tar sands divestment proposal did not go anywhere.

==Low Sit-In==

CDCJ began the 2015-2016 academic year with its cofounders set to graduate and no meaningful progress towards divestment. Thus, the group formed the [[Barnard Columbia Solidarity Network]] alongside other activist groups. The BCSN collected signatures for a pledge to commit civil disobedience and risk sanction from the university in the name of fossil fuel divestment<ref>[http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2015/10/14/climate-divest-day-action Civil disobedience pledge]</ref>, in preparation for an occupation of Low that was postponed to the spring.

This preparation culminated in an eight-day sit-in between April 14 and 22, 2016, the longest such occupation since the 17-day sit-in of [[Lewisohn Hall]] in [[1972]]. Members of CDCJ occupied the Low Rotunda, refusing to leave until President Bollinger issued a statement in support of divestment. The sit-in ended when Bollinger left campus for a week to attend [[Bill Campbell]]'s funeral, with the promise of a mass pro-divestment email by the end of the semester. Though the sit-in started with 14 students, only six remained in Low at the end of the protest. A number of [[Spectator]] news reporters also participated in the sit-in to document goings-on<ref>[http://columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/2016/04/14/live-blog-columbia-divest-climate-justice-stages-sit-inside-low Sit-in live blog]</ref>. <ref>[https://bwog.com/2016/04/a-quick-guide-to-the-cdcj-occupation/ Quick Guide to the CDCJ Occupation]</ref>.

For the duration of the protest, members participating in the sit-in were brought food from outside by [[Public Safety]]. Low Rotunda, the site of several events, was shut down, ostensibly because the sit-in interfered with them. Rules Administrator [[Suzanne Goldberg]] charged protestors with violations for each event that was cancelled, recommending suspension<ref>[http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2016/04/18/goldberg-warns-cdcj-occupiers-suspension-may-be-most-relevant-punishment-sit Goldberg threatens suspension]</ref>.

A number of student groups issued statements in support of the protest. [[CCSC]] passed a resolution calling for the protestors not to be suspended or expelled.


==See also==
[[Columbia Prison Divest]]

[[Extinction Rebellion]]

[[ASCRI]]

== References ==
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[[Category: Student groups]]
[[Category: Inactive clubs]]
[[Category: Sustainability student groups]]
[[Category: Sustainability]]