Cambridge Zero Carbon began in 2007 as a group of students, scientists, economists, and professionals who were deeply concerned about the climate crisis.
The group has been one of the most active organising groups in recent Cambridge history – coordinating over 30 direct actions and penning 6 public reports between 2015-2020.
The peak of their activity occurred in 2018 and 2019 around successive votes for divestment at University Council.
After five years of campaigning, Zero Carbon celebrated a “historic victory” in October 2020 when the University finally committed to fully divest by 2030.
After the launch of the University’s own “Cambridge Zero” initiative, Zero Carbon changed its name to Cambridge Climate Justice, and remains in operation.
In recent years, the University is still attracting criticism for delays, having “no plan” for actioning divestment, and continuing to accept fossil fuel donations.
Campaign timeline
- 29 Nov 2015 – Cambridge Students’ Union awards £600 “kickstarter” grant to Zero Carbon to begin a divestment campaign
- 22 April 2016 – “Fossil fuels at the University of Cambridge” divestment report launched
- 30 April 2016 – Over 250 participate in Zero Carbon’s first “March for Divestment” rally, and organisers deliver an open letter with over 2,100 signatures to the University
- 15 June 2016 – Public statement criticising lack of transparency in University investments
- 6 Nov 2016 – Banners dropped across three bridges over the river Cam.
- 24 April 2017 – “Climate kickabout” on Senate House lawn
- 9 Nov 2017 – “Die-in” staged at the BP and Shell stalls at the Careers Fair
- 24 Nov 2017 – Black flares set off outside Kings College on national day of action
- 2 Feb 2018 – Crime-scene protest outside the University Divestment Office
- 14 Feb 2018 – A mock-wedding protest highlights links between Cambridge and Shell
- 15 March 2018 – Over 300 people march through Cambridge at the “Corporation Cambridge” divestment rally
- 24 March 2018 – Banner drop at Oxbridge boat race
- 23 April 2018 – 40 students rally outside a council meeting on divestment
- 14 May 2018 – 30 students spray paint the walls of the Old Schools building
- 16 May 2018 – 3 undergraduate students go on hunger strike (reflections on day four)
- 19 May 2018 – 25 students occupy Greenwich House
- 21 May 2018 – “Divestment Day” rally sees 200 students rally outside of Old Schools
- 25 May 2018 – Baliffs forcefully evict occupiers from Greenwich House
- 29 May 2018 – 3 divestment banners dropped along the River Cam
- 30 May 2018 – 100 students rally against the forced eviction at Greenwich House
- 19 Oct 2018 – 4 students disrupt “Shell breakfast” recruiting event
- 8 Nov 2018 – 19 students disrupt the Royal Dutch Shell annual lecture
- 9 Nov 2018 – College-level divestment campaigns launched
- 10 Nov 2018 – Divestment banners dropped at 11 Colleges
- 21 Nov 2018 – Corpus clock painted and a “die-in” hosted in the Old Schools
- 29 Nov 2018 – Old schools entrance blockaded
- 23 Jan 2019 – 10 students disrupt a talk on women in chemistry given by a BP chemist
- 30 Jan 2019 – Conflicts of interest uncovered in Cambridge divestment working group
- 1 Feb 2019 – Student Alice Guillame resigns from Cambridge divestment working group in protest
- 8 Feb 2019 – 180 students march through Cambridge in protest of the divestment “stitch up”
- 15 Feb 2019 – 20 students blockade Greenwich House
- 7 April 2019 – Banner drop at Oxbridge Boat Race
- 19 April 2019 – 15 students barricade Greenwich House
- 16 Oct 2019 – “Climate crime scene” protest at BP recruitment events
- 29 Oct 2019 – 40 students blockade the BP Institute at Madingly Rise
- 5 Nov 2019 – Over 200 protestors march in a climate change rally
- 8 Nov 2019 – 30 students protest at Career’s Fair stalls of BAE Systems and Schlumberger
- 29 Nov 2019 – Greenwashing protest in response to the launch of Cambridge Zero
- Nov 2020 – divestment debate held as part of CUSU’s Ethical Affairs Conference
Cambridge Radical Archives 