Holding Canadian Universities Accountable: An Assessment of Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitments

Abstract

This paper examines the current status of fossil fuel divestment at Canadian universities. Many fossil fuel divestment commitments are often made by institutions, however the follow up and status are generally less publicized. This leaves the question of how effectively are institutions following through with their divestment statements. Therefore, this paper uses the concept of accountability to determine the efficacy of fossil fuel divestment at Canadian institutions. Accountability is defined by Bovens (2007) and adapted to the governance and sustainable practices found at Canadian universities. A framework for assessing accountability was created based on the areas of interest for stakeholders, as well as defined criteria in accountability from the literature. The framework was applied to five Canadian universities, and evaluated four categories: transparency, responsibility, responsiveness, and financial disclosure. The assessment found that all universities assessed are on track to meet their divestment commitments. While some universities were found to be stronger than others in the areas assessed, all universities had a considerable amount of information available. However, many universities were found to have long divestment timelines, considering the inception of fossil fuel divestment student advocacy groups to the deadline for full divestment at a university. Additionally, clear and streamlined communications from universities is recommended to provide progress on divestment. Although universities may be on track, this is not always clear unless a thorough assessment is done. Enhancing reporting or consistent updates are two examples of methods that can provide strong communication. Overall, this will ensure the accountability expectations for fossil fuel divestment commitments at universities are better met.