UH regents vote to divest from fossil fuels
The University of Hawaii, with 53,000 total students, is now the largest university in the world to have divested from the fossil fuel industry so far.
The University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents voted today to divest the university’s $66-million endowment from fossil fuels.
“I commend the UH Board of Regents on leading by example and looking out for the interests of local residents,” said State Representative Chris Lee who chairs the House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection. “Hawaii is already spending millions to save our eroding beaches and diminishing fresh water supply from growing climate changes. It’s important we not raise costs to taxpayers by investing in fossil fuels that add to the problem, and instead invest in clean alternatives that can be equally profitable.
“It is not only the right thing to do, but, together with the Legislature’s decision to move the state toward 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, puts Hawaii in the forefront of nationwide efforts to move toward greater reliance on renewable and sustainability energy resources,” Lee said.