Last semester, Harvard Law Students voted two-to-one to support immediate divestment of the University’s endowment from direct holdings in the top 200 fossil fuel companies and to divest from commingled funds within the next five years. Today, we renew our call for divestment and reiterate that neither we nor this issue are going away. With over 1300 Harvard students, 173 faculty, and 571 alumni signed on for divestment, this is not an issue that can be ignored or swept under the rug. We will continue to draw the world’s attention to Harvard’s destructive investment practices—because if it is wrong to wreck the planet, it is wrong to profit from climate destruction.

This is a battle over the purpose of Harvard University. The students, faculty, and alumni in favor of divestment believe Harvard should be more than a hedge fund. We believe that the Harvard motto, “Veritas,” is more than just a slogan. We are only doing what Harvard has taught and prepared us to do—standing up for what is right, even in the face of strong opposition. And we believe it will take the world’s most renowned academic institution to reign in the world’s most wealthy, powerful, and destructive corporations.

Jacob Lipton JD ’14, Sam Caravello JD ’15 and Ted Hamilton JD ’16 are members of HLS Divest Harvard