USC will halt making new investments in fossil fuels and will begin liquidating current investments in an effort to make sustainability a priority, the University announced in a news release Wednesday.
The decision comes after a Feb. 4 vote from the USC Board of Trustees Investment Committee and efforts by faculty, staff, student groups including DivestSC and student governments urging the University to divest its $277 million in fossil fuel investments — 5% of the $5.5 billion endowment.
“Going forward, our new investment policies reinforce USC’s commitment to generate strong returns while also upholding USC’s values, including sustainability,” Chief Investment Officer Amy Diamond said in the press release. “We see this approach as a way to grow our portfolio and support clean, new technologies for the 21st century.”