Our campaign in the media

  • Stanford keeps oil company financial ties, despite push for divestment (July 13, 2024)

    The San Jose Mercury News reports that "Stanford University has decided to maintain its controversial ties to the fossil fuel industry, citing academic freedom and the need for practical knowledge in the search for climate-crisis solutions."

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  • Forgo fossil fuel funds? No way, Stanford tells protesters. (June 28, 2024)

    Politico's E&E news reported how Stanford rejected calls from hundreds of students, faculty and alumni to stop accepting research funding from fossil fuel companies, saying it needs to collaborate with the oil industry to find solutions to the climate crisis.

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  • Stanford disappoints critics of fossil fuel donations by hiring PR firm with big oil ties (June 17, 2024)

    The Guardian reports how the Doerr School "hired a public relations firm to address 'potential reputational challenges' amid concern from campus activists over the institution’s extensive ties with fossil fuel companies"

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  • GSC approves fossil fuel divestment bill (June 3, 2024)

    "The resolution, which was also passed by the Undergraduate Senate, condemns industry-funded partnerships between Stanford affiliates and four leading fossil fuel companies: ExxonMobil, Shell USA, Chevron and BP America."

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  • Opinion: Accepting fossil fuel funds undermines Stanford's new sustainability school (May 11, 2024)

    University needs to protect the trust it has built in communities affected by environmental injustices.

    Read the op-ed in the Mercury News

  • Stanford will examine oil industry-funded program (May 1, 2024)

    The inquiry comes after E&E News reported that a university program offered exclusive benefits to the fossil fuel industry.

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  • New Joint Bicameral Staff Report Reveals Big Oil’s Campaign of Climate Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak (April 2024)

    "The oil and gas industry cultivates partnerships with academic institutions as a way to influence climate research toward an energy transition that favors maintaining fossil fuels for as long as possible; bolster its ability to claim expertise on climate science; and gain access to thought leaders."

    Read the report

  • From the Community | The health harms of fossil fuel research funding (Feb. 22, 2024)

    "As health professional students, staff, faculty, and alumni across Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Children’s Health, we support establishing the strongest possible guardrails in the University’s relationship with the fossil fuel industry."

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  • 'Don't Look Up' Director’s Nonprofit Roasts Stanford for Fossil Fuel Funding (Oct. 24, 2023)

    The nonprofit founded by Adam McKay — writer and director of the popular climate film “Don’t Look Up” — has released a video lambasting Stanford University’s new climate school for its stance on accepting money from the fossil fuel industry. — KQED Public Radio

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  • Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (Wants Big Oil Money!) (Oct. 3, 2023)

    A satirical “advertisement” for the Doerr School produced by Hollywood director Adam McKay’s climate satire media non profit — Yellow Dot Studios

    Watch the video

  • What Would a True School of Sustainability Look Like? Rejecting Oil Money, for a Start (Sept. 28, 2023)

    Amidst great fanfare, Stanford University created the Doerr School for Sustainability, which immediately said that it would accept funding from the fossil fuel industry. A group of students has pushed back, and built an impressive movement to dissociate from such funds. In this episode, we talk to some of the people leading the movement about what drives them and sustains them in building a True School of Sustainability — Speaking Out of Place Podcast

    Listen to the podcast

  • Is your university profiting from climate change? (May 16, 2023)

    While many universities are proud to talk about how they fight climate change, some also invest in and accept donations from the same oil companies that drive global warming. Experts and students are calling those schools hypocritical and are demanding change — CBS

    Full story

  • Big Oil Helped Shape Stanford’s Latest Climate-Research Focus (May 4, 2023)

    The university’s sustainability school chose greenhouse-gas removal after input from fossil-fuel executives. Critics say the industry’s involvement is cause for concern — Chronicle of Higher Ed

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  • Can ‘Dirty Money’ Pollute Climate Scholarship? (Dec. 2, 2022)

    Stanford’s new Doerr School of Sustainability is under fire for accepting money from fossil fuel companies, igniting a debate about the influence of the industry on climate research —Inside Higher Ed

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  • Exxon CEO visits Stanford plugging company’s plan for carbon neutrality, sparks protest (Nov. 3, 2022)

    Students, faculty and outside activists affiliated with the Coalition for a True School of Sustainability protested Stanford’s inclusion of ExxonMobil Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods as a guest speaker at the Global Energy Forum and the Doerr School of Sustainability’s acceptance of fossil fuel money — The Stanford Daily

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  • When Divestment Isn’t Enough (Oct. 26, 2022)

    A movement to get oil money out of academic research is taking shape on campuses — The Chronicle of Higher Education

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  • Universities are still enabling Big Oil — but not without backlash (Oct. 25, 2022)

    Students, faculty, and alumni want their institutions to cut off fossil fuels for real — ExxonKnews

    Full article

  • Oil Money Undermines Academic Autonomy (Oct. 19, 2022)

    Universities should ban fossil fuel industry funding for research on climate change and energy, Jake Lowe and Connor Chung write —Inside Higher Ed

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  • Princeton Will Stop Taking Oil Money. Now the Pressure Is on Harvard, MIT, and Columbia (Oct. 12, 2022)

    Princeton Will Stop Taking Oil Money. Now the Pressure Is on Harvard, MIT, and Columbia — The New Republic

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  • Fossil-Fuel Money Is Warping Climate Research (Sept. 29, 2022)

    Universities must require full funding disclosure —The Chronicle of Higher Education

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  • Protesters knock Doerr, interrupting sustainability school’s opening ceremony (Sept. 30, 2022)

    Advocates demanded the school reject funding from fossil fuel companies —The Stanford Daily

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  • Fossil-Fuel Money Will Undermine Stanford’s New Sustainability School (Oct. 1, 2022)

    Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability will take energy industry donations, which will warp priorities and research agendas —Scientific American

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  • Stealing from the tobacco playbook, fossil fuel companies pour money into elite American universities (Sept. 14, 2022)

    Paul Thacker examines how oil and gas companies have funded research to try to weaken messages on climate change and protect their interests —The BMJ

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  • Stanford School of Sustainability launches amid criticisms over fossil fuel funding (Sept. 5, 2022)

    Stanford launched the Doerr School of Sustainability, the University’s new hub for research and innovation focused on advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet, on Thursday. The opening comes amid criticism about the school receiving funding from fossil fuel companies and over seventy years after Stanford launched its last new school, the School of Humanities and Sciences, in 1948. —Stanford Daily.

    Full article.

  • Graduation caps held in the air with fossil fuel company logos

    Will Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability be polluted by fossil-fuel money? (July 27, 2022)

    Big Oil is a big backer of a new school devoted to sustainability. Are they leveraging the lessons learned by Big Tobacco? —GreenBiz

    Full article

  • Stanford University Oval

    “Green” Universities Keep Taking Sweet, Sweet Oil Money (July 12, 2022)

    Despite their supposed focus on sustainability, there seems to be an awful lot of fossil fuel and ‘big oil’ money creeping into university’s “green” programs. The main example they give is Stanford’s new Doerr School of Sustainability, but it’s far from the only place where these problematic conflicts of interest pop up in academia —CleanTechnica.

    Full article.

  • Stanford Earth Sciences building, exterior

    Stanford community critiques Sustainability School’s acceptance of fossil fuel funds, expresses optimism for opening (May 30, 2022)

    The debate over Stanford’s relationship with fossil fuel companies has reached a fever pitch across campus —Stanford Daily.

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  • Hand blocking money exchange

    A feud over fossil fuel money (May 24, 2022)

    Some faculty and students at Stanford want the university to reject industry donations. It’s the latest clash in a wider battle over whether to shun oil and gas money —New York Times. Full article

  • Arun Majumdar while speaking

    Who is Arun Majumdar? (May 22, 2022)

    Incoming Sustainability School dean has a history of embracing industry partnerships —Stanford Daily.

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  • Stanford graduate student sitting in a meeting

    GSC approves voting members, urges Sustainability School to refuse fossil fuel funding (May 19, 2022)

    The Graduate Student Council (GSC) certified the election of all 15 voting members to the 2022-23 council and endorsed a letter calling on the Doerr School of Sustainability to refuse funding from fossil fuel companies during its Wednesday meeting —Stanford Daily.

    Full Article