Last spring, a group of students from Fossil Free Wellesley (FFW) came to speak to me about Wellesley’s investment of endowment funds in fossil fuel companies. While advocating passionately for Wellesley to withdraw such investments, they also told personal, compelling stories about how fossil fuels had affected their lives. And thus began a broader conversation about what Wellesley could do, and should do, to address climate change.
Over the fall and this spring, a group of trustees, faculty, and staff met with FFW to discuss the request and to determine the best course of action for Wellesley. Today, I announced the decision by our Board of Trustees not to divest, but also that Wellesley has committed to undertaking several specific actions that will have an impact on our environmental sustainability.
While the Board of Trustees ultimately did not approve the request from FFW, all of us who have been engaged in these conversations have agreed from the very start that climate change is one of the most consequential issues of our time, and that we are committed to doing our part to make a meaningful difference in the world.
President Bottomly,
the Board of Trustees appears to be rushing full steam ahead to sell the North Forty.
I urge you to become informed. To explore the North Forty for yourself with some of the Trustees so that you can witness how this tract of land is and has been giving Wellesley a good grade on “sustainability” since Mr Durant donated it.
Losing it to development will lower that grade immediately and for the long run.