In signing this petition, you assert that climate change is a serious threat, that it must be addressed on an institutional level, and agree to stand in solidarity with Divest Pepp as we call for Pepperdine University's divestment from the fossil fuels industry by 2026.

As the world is in a state of climate emergency brought on by the extraction and burning of oil, coal, and gas, action against this violent industry is urgent and essential for the safety of humanity. The climate crisis is not a distant concern for a future date, it is happening already, right here, right now. The science behind this human-induced phenomenon is overwhelming and indisputable, with its harmful effects already taking its toll on the environment and humankind across the globe, including in Malibu. We know the root of the issue: fossil fuels. So why has Pepperdine failed to take a stance on fossil fuels thus far? This destructive industry is perpetuating the suffering of all creatures across the planet and must be stopped. Because the Pepperdine Center for Sustainability and Office of Investment Management declined to provide information regarding the university's current investments for the purpose of this petition, the university has proven to lack transparency and therefore has announced its compliance with its role in the climate crisis. Not only does Pepperdine neglect to provide access to the information regarding its investments and what industries are being funded by student-paid tuition, but it also has a deep history with the fossil fuel industry, including corporations like the Hydril Company, Western Auto Supply, among others. Pepperdine also utilizes services from Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, which are known to directly fund major fossil fuel projects.

Ending the climate crisis means we have to keep fossil fuel reserves in the ground. That means stopping all new coal, oil and gas infrastructure, and banning future fossil fuel projects. When you’re in a hole, stop digging.

What it means to divest:

• Immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies
• Stop using and giving money to banks that in turn loan money to new fossil fuel projects like major oil or gas pipelines
• Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years
• Reinvest in funds that promote sustainability and signal respect for the environment and its finite resources

Pepperdine University must cut its ties with the fossil fuel industry and reinvest in funds that promote sustainability for these reasons:

1. Supporting fossil fuels is immoral, inhumane, and goes against the university's Christian mission: "Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership."

Climate justice is social justice. Supporting fossil fuels exacerbates a system that disproportionately hurts those who are already poor, marginalized, and at a disadvantage. Increased natural disaster and extreme weather events put these people at even higher risk due to drought, food and water insecurity, and poor air quality. In many cases, these issues force entire cultures like the indigenous Tuvalu people out of their homes, leading to mass climate migration and cultural erasure. In Los Angeles County, oil rigs are situated in residential communities, mostly inhabited by people of color, who suffer everyday from the negative health impacts such as headaches, upper respiratory illness, nausea, nosebleeds and increase in cancer risk. Fossil fuel projects cannot be built without endangering people's lives. Ultimately, the climate crisis only worsens issues like systemic poverty, racial inequity, and gender disparity. By contributing money to these companies, Pepperdine is directly funding these inhumane and corrupt systems.

As Christians, we are called to help and protect the widows, orphans, and aliens. We are supposed to show love to the disenfranchised (see Deut. 10:18, Deut. 27:19, Ex. 22:22-24, Isa. 1:17, Isa. 58:10, Jer. 22:3, Ps. 68:5, Ps. 82:3). We cannot serve or show love to these people when we are supporting a violent and inhumane industry that disproportionately hurts them—this is exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. We are called to protect God's creation, to be a steward of the environment, and to show love to the beings within it (see Gen. 2:15, Num. 35:33-34, Ezek. 34:18, Job 12:7-10, Col. 1:16-17).

2. Supporting fossil fuels goes against the Christian vision: "Pepperdine University will be a preeminent, global, Christian university, known for the integration of faith and learning, whose graduates lead purposeful lives as servant-minded leaders throughout the world."

Pepperdine prides itself on its status as a “global leader,” but by failing to divest, we are already behind, and we are doing the world a disservice. If Pepperdine really wants to keep up on the times and lead the world into a better future, the university MUST withdraw its funds from fossil fuel companies. There is nothing in the act of divestment that will separate us from the Christian mission of the university. In fact, according to gofossilfree.org, the highest percentage of institutions that have committed to divest is faith-based organizations (34%). As young people who will soon inherit the responsibilities of this world, our current students need a university that is doing its best to protect our future and our livelihoods. We are at a crucial moment in history where action, or rather inaction, will have grave consequences. As a Christian institution with a vision of global leadership, we must ask ourselves what kind of legacy we want to leave on the world.

3. Supporting fossil fuels is bringing about our own downfall.

Pepperdine’s location in the hills of Southern California and on the Pacific coastline puts us in a particularly vulnerable position. Just two and a half years ago, much of Malibu, Calabasas, and the surrounding cities burned down in the Woolsey Fire and they are still rebuilding to this day. While Pepperdine remained mostly untouched by the fires, our students and faculty felt the impacts of the disaster immensely. Our entire community was subjected to irreversible mental trauma, and many people even lost their homes to the fire. With temperatures rising, droughts increasing, and the frequency and severity of the California fires increasing, what used to be a predictable fire season is now year-round. Woolsey is only the beginning of what will come to pass if we do not act now. The 2020 fire season was the biggest wildfire season in California’s modern history, with more acres burned than the last 3 years combined. Emergency preparedness only goes so far if we do not address the root of the problem, which is extreme global warming and increased natural disaster. For the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the rest of our city, we need to do our part in preventing further damage to our environment.

4. Divestment is completely plausible and financially advantageous for the long-term.

The economy does not exist in a vacuum—goods, natural resources, products, the stock market, human civilization, everything only exists within the confines of our environment. By failing to protect where our resources come from, we are failing to prepare for our future, both physically and economically.

A year ago, the University of California became the largest educational system in the United States to divest from fossil fuels and shift toward renewable energy such as solar and wind power. If an institution as big as UC can divest (with a student population of about 280,000), it is more than possible for an institution of Pepperdine’s size (about 8,000 students, including graduate students) to do the same. Other universities that have divested or are in the process of divesting, are the University of Southern California, Boston University, Brown University, Cornell University, Stanford University, Yale University, California Institute of the Arts, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Humboldt State University, John Hopkins University, Oregon State University, Pitzer College, Rutgers University, University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Washington, among others.

As mentioned earlier, faith-based organizations are leading the divestment movement at 34%. Locally, our Christian brothers and sisters at Loyola Marymount University are in the midst of their own divestment campaign and have just presented a proposal to their Endowment Committee. Next in line are philanthropic foundations and educational institutions, both tied at 15%. Our neighbors at the University of Southern California, California Institute of the Arts, and Pitzer College in Claremont have already fully divested. It is clear that a growing number of institutions, whether their mission is based in faith, education, or philanthropy, have realized the importance of adopting more sustainable portfolios for the good of their future. As a university that identifies with all three of these missions, Pepperdine is the perfect institution to join the movement.

Studies like this one show that divestment from fossil fuels does not pose any significant risks and that investment in fossil fuels do not have any unique benefits in comparison to investing in other industries.

In fact, reports like this one prove that the fossil fuel industry is a dying sector. Between the years 2012-2020, globally investors have lost $123 billion on these share issuances by fossil fuel producers and therefore, have significantly underperformed the general stock market in the last decade. In comparison, share issuances by electric utilities, mainly those focused on renewable energy generation, have gained $111 billion in value. Why should Pepperdine continue to invest student tuition toward a sector that not only puts our future at risk, but also has been in a steady decline for years when there are much more profitable alternatives? For the future health of the university, we must move our investments to cleaner and more financially stable sectors.

If not purely for its Christian values, social responsibility also has significant economic impact. Pepperdine has historically chosen not to make political and humanitarian gestures through its investments on the grounds that investments are made purely for business. This Forbes article shows that social responsibility is becoming increasingly economically advantageous for business, particularly showing accountability that is desirable to investors, and therefore important to prioritize.

Finally, as an institution situated on the beautiful Pacific coastline, by failing to protect our environment, we are also failing to protect our lovely and marketable ocean view. Hydraulic fracturing (better known as fracking) is still being used to extract fuel from the ocean, directly harming the marine environment in the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Ventura Counties.

Bottom Line: Every day that passes where we fail to address the part we play in this system and fail to change it, is another day that we announce our compliance with the destruction and oppression of people all over the globe, and contribute to our own destruction. In accordance with our Christian mission and vision, it is imperative that Pepperdine University divests from the fossil fuels industry for the good of our students, our city, and the whole of creation.