Student climate activists are celebrating after Roehampton University committed to excluding fossil fuel, mining and arms companies from its careers and recruitment events. 

The university published an Ethical Careers Policy which commits to excluding these industries from spaces such as careers fairs and networking events, as well as “digital and physical” advertising opportunities.

The decision was taken following sustained conversations between concerned students and the sustainability and careers teams. Roehampton is the twelfth UK university to ban recruitment relationships with the fossil fuel industry. 

Violent

Josie Mizen, co-director for climate justice at People & Planet said: “We’re delighted to see Roehampton University commit to cutting ties with companies that are fuelling climate breakdown and war. 

"The climate crisis isn’t some far-away reality, it’s here now, and the fossil fuel industry is both driving it and profiting from it. Universities are increasingly realising that they need to stop adding fuel to the fire by giving these companies a platform. 

"We hope other institutions will follow Roehampton’s example and urgently cut their own ties to these violent and destructive industries.”

Employability

Marta Della Libera and Bev Jennison, from the student futures team at Roehampton University, said: “At the University of Roehampton, we’re committed to providing careers support that reflects our values of sustainability and social responsibility. 

"Our new Ethical Careers Policy ensures we do not promote roles in industries such as fossil fuels, mining, arms, or tobacco, while continuing to offer impartial guidance to students. 

"Inclusivity is also at the forefront of our work. Our recent jobs fairs featured charities such as FoodCycle, and our Dress for Success initiative saw over 170 pieces of smart clothing donated by staff, helping students from all socioeconomic backgrounds feel confident for interviews."

They added:  "This policy represents our human-centred approach to employability and reflects our broader efforts to embed sustainability across the university.”

Pipelines

Roehampton is the latest university to commit to cutting fossil fuel industry ties as part of the nationwide Fossil Free Careers campaign, coordinated by student-led charity People & Planet. 

The campaign demands university careers services adopt an Ethical Careers Policy that excludes oil, gas and mining companies from recruitment relationships, in order to “end recruitment pipelines” into extractive industries.

Fossil Free Careers has been endorsed by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), as well as by 28 students’ union and trade union branches on UK campuses. 

The news comes at a time when the effects of climate change are increasingly being seen across the UK. This month saw the UK experience its hottest start to May on record, and April saw just over half the average rainfall expected for the month.

This Author

Brendan Montague is editor of The Ecologist.