An introduction to climate action and Divest Mt.A

Providing insight into Divest through an interview with Mikko McGregor Corson

Divest Mt. A plays an important  role in the local anti-fossil fuel movement in Sackville. Made up of students who demand climate justice at Mt. A, they encourage institutions such as universities and the government to divest from the fossil fuel industry. Their statement of purpose states, “while Mt. A has made some positive steps toward decarbonization on campus and its investments, [Divest] believes that these steps are not enough, and that a deeper structural shift is required to achieve true climate justice.”

Their statement of purpose, initially written by Mt. A alumnus Islay Fraser and edited by Mikko McGregor Corson, a current organizer with Divest Mt. A, continues to explain their expectations of Mt. A, which is to commit to decarbonizing the campus.

            McGregor Corson views Divest Mt. A as a crucial tool to hold the university accountable, saying Mt. A is an institution prone to greenwashing, which may lead to the use of unsupported statements about its environmental or climate benefits. McGregor Corson says “systematic change requires a collective voice and direct action,” and Divest is the space to “take the necessary action to inspire change.”

            Divest Mt. A has been active since 2013, maintaining a strong presence on campus throughout its decade of activism. Their movement started with research and reports on the topic, the first report being published in 2015, arguing for divestment from fossil fuels at Mt. A. The group had their first on-campus protest in 2017, which led to the first climate strike in March 2019 in cooperation with the Sackville Youth Climate Coalition. Divest Mt.A has held protests each semester since.

Currently, Divest Mt.A has four major demands: fossil fuel divestment, the net-zero target, a climate plan, and an office of sustainability. Divest Mt. A has demanded that Mt. A completely divest from all fossil fuel companies within five years for the past twelve years. Furthermore, they demand an immediate freeze on new investments in the fossil fuel industry, the immediate sale of endowment investments in the top two hundred fossil companies, and the sale of all fossil fuel holdings within the next five years.

The net-zero target is a commitment to numerical and scientifically based greenhouse gas emission targets, working towards a net-zero campus. The expectation is to reach the target alongside the international target, which is to be net-zero by 2050. According to McGregor Corson’s findings, 76.2 per cent of Canadian universities have emission targets, but Mt. A does not. For this information to spread to the larger student body, Divest Mt. A demands better transparency of emission reporting.

Moreover, McGregor Corson discovered that Mt. A lacks a climate plan, despite 70.2 per cent of Canadian universities having one. A climate plan is an “actionable pathway to achieve net-zero and emission reduction targets as well as other holistic sustainability initiatives.” It requires third-party auditing, like a climate change coordinator, and regular updates alongside adaptive and long-term priorities, but allows the community to understand energy usage and projects.

Divest also alleges that the Mt. A administration has historically responded poorly to their demands. The overall Canadian reaction, however, has improved since 2014, with 15.5 per cent of Canadian universities committing to fossil fuel divestment.

Divest Mt. A is holding a climate strike on Friday, September 26, outside the library at 12:30 p.m. Divest Mt. A aims to echo and build on the demands of the 2019 youth strikes, hoping to bring more substantial climate action from leadership, be it Mt. A or the local government. McGregor Corson states, “The climate emergency is only getting worse, and we must come together as a community to demand change.” They say “through the collective voice of our community, we must refuse to be ignored [and] reinvigorate the popularity of climate justice.”