At the panel on Monday

Demands for Barnard’s divestment from fossil fuels have been increasing, as evidenced by impassioned protests and SGA’s recent referendum on the topic. In October, the Barnard Board of Trustees announced they would consider divestment and other possible sources of income—now, in an email to the Barnard student body, President Spar has announced the launch of the Presidential Task Force to Examine Divestment, which will be accompanied by a panel discussion on Monday, February 8, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in the James Room of Barnard Hall. In a discussion moderated by DSpar, students will be able to ask questions of the panelists, all of whom have expertise in the fields of energy, sustainability, and economics (or just one of those).

Is this the beginning of the end for Barnard Divest? While it is an encouraging sign, no action has been taken yet.

From: “President’s Office” <presidentsoffice@barnard.edu> Date: Feb 3, 2016 10:10 AM

Subject: Fossil Fuel Divestment and Investment Management: A Panel Discussion

Dear Barnard Community,

Please join President Spar for an important conversation on fossil fuel divestment, an issue that has captured the attention of students at Barnard and on campuses nationwide. On Monday, February 8, from 4-5:30 p.m. in the James Room in Barnard Hall, we will welcome leaders in energy, sustainability, and investment management including: NYC First Deputy Comptroller Alaina Gilligo; Hugh Lawson, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs; Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Marcie Smith, Executive Director of the Responsible Endowments Coalition.

Opening remarks by each panelist will be followed by a discussion moderated by President Spar, as well as questions from the audience. The focus will be on the implications of divestment for the College, the potential criteria to determine which investments would qualify for divestment, the concept of “impact investing,” and how best to proceed going forward.

This panel discussion is intended to mark the launch of the newly-created Presidential Task Force to Examine Divestment. We anticipate that this broader conversation will help set the stage for the work yet to come, and we hope you will participate.

Sincerely,

Debora Spar

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