George School Divests from Fossil Fuels

Joining a national movement taking root at several top universities, George School takes a bold step to reduce its endowment’s investment in fossil fuel-based companies, eliminating coal-mining companies from its total portfolio of approximately $150 million. George School announces a three-pronged plan to reduce its environmental footprint, in part due to an active, socially conscious student body, which rallies together to encourage the school’s trustees to take a hard look at its endowment portfolio.

“Our students think beyond the classroom and feel empowered to tackle world challenges,” says Head of School Nancy Starmer. “We listened to our students’ interests and took their recommendations to heart, creating a task force of board members, staff, faculty, and other experts to study the issues beyond just our endowment.”

As a result, the task force develops a plan that aims to reduce the school’s overall environmental impact. Not only will the school divest from coal-mining companies, but it commits to investing in companies that deliver alternative energy solutions as well as implementing new policies and procedures on campus to improve energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.