Stanford to Move Away From Direct Investment in Coal Companies

The Stanford News wrote that the university’s board of trustees plans to stop investments in coal mining companies, endorsing a recommendation from Stanford’s Advisory Panel on Investment Responsibility and Licensing. According to the Stanford News, the panel included alumni, faculty, staff and students, and has reviewed various implications of investment in fossil fuel companies over the past several months.

As quoted in the Stanford News:

Stanford’s Statement on Investment Responsibility, originally adopted in 1971, states that the trustees’ primary obligation in investing endowment assets is to maximize the financial return of those assets to support the university. In addition, it states that when the trustees judge that “corporate policies or practices create substantial social injury,” they may include this factor in their investment decisions.

Click here to read the full Stanford News article.