**NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI, FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR TITLE IN YOUR NAME SUBJECT LINE WHEN SIGNING!**
Petition co-hosted by #StopAdani, Sunrise Evanston, and Citizens’ Greener Evanston
The Problem
Northwestern President Morton Schapiro has a key role in and involvement with the transnational Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC).
President Schapiro serves as one of the 13 directors on the Board of Directors for the company, which is currently brokering insurance for one of the biggest proposed coal mines in the world – The Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, Australia.
This mine, if built, will occupy the lands of the Indigenous Wangan & Jagalingou people, who have never provided Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the mine. Estimated annual emissions from the Adani project are comparable to other countries' entire annual emissions. The estimated 700 million tons in carbon emission output will affect global temperatures and weather changes everywhere—not just in Australia. Additionally, the majority of this coal will be exported, as Australia is the largest global exporter of coal, exacerbating environmental degradation around the world.
The solution
If MMC, a well-trusted insurance broker, abandons the project, it will join a group of over 60 companies who have also backed out due to the overwhelming risk.
Halting the Adani Carmichael mine would signal the end of a project delayed for years and prevent devastating local environmental impacts—it would also discourage other fossil fuel ventures and drive us closer to a just transition and more livable future for all.
The Ask
We are aware that MMC is forming a new global position on coal, which we expect them to release before or at their Annual General Meeting on May 21st.
We are proud of what Northwestern has accomplished in addressing climate change and want to see members of our community continue to lead in this realm.
For this reason, Fossil Free Northwestern has become a local chapter of the #StopAdani campaign and calls on President Schapiro to use his power, influence, and position on the Board of Directors to help ensure Marsh’s new global position on coal includes ruling out further work with the Adani Carmichael mine.
Read our full statement here.
** Signing this petition will automatically send an email to Morton Schapiro reiterating our ask **
