Open Letter Template And Guide (Page 2 of 5) in pdf

You may choose option #3 if you are in the middle of sensitive negotiations with your university, for

example. Most of the time though you want to publicise the support you garner for the campaign as

widely as possible.

Delivery. How will you deliver the open letter? Will it be mailed, e-mailed, tabled at a

Council/Senate meeting, delivered in ‘giant’ form to the Vice-Chancellor’s office?

Whatever you do, you want your supporters and the broader public to know about it. Getting a high

number of signatories is no small feat and is worth publicising and celebrating widely. Doing so will

put more pressure on your decision-maker than a quiet delivery.

TEMPLATE

An open letter to [insert name of university] from members of its community:

In full awareness of the urgent need to act on climate change, we, the undersigned, call on the

University to:

1. Investigate and disclose its investments in companies whose primary business is the exploration,

extraction, processing and transportation of fossil fuels;

2. Cease any new investments in these companies;

3. Cease its investments in the fossil fuel sector within 5 years and regularly report back on

progress.

Climate change is not simply an economic and environmental problem, but an issue of social justice,

intergenerational equity, and the viability of future human endeavours. Our sense of urgency in

signing this letter cannot be overstated. As members of the academic community of [insert name of

university], we believe that it is our moral responsibility to show leadership in combating the global

threat of climate change in order to ensure a liveable future for ourselves and all species, and for

generations to come.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the

World Bank and other reputable authorities all warn of a four degree Celsius rise in average global

temperatures by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at their current rate. Recent

experience of weather extremes and natural disasters here and across the world is only the

beginning of a new and more volatile climate regime.

Despite its small population, Australia is a major contributor to climate change. It is the largest per

capita emitter of greenhouse gases globally and among the world’s 20 top aggregate emitters based

on its domestic emissions alone. Australia is also the world’s second largest exporter of coal and, if

Open Letter Template And Guide Page 2