Dr John Hewson presenting at UTas student organised Fossil Fuel Divestment Forum

Dr John Hewson will be presenting at a University of Tasmania (UTas) student organised public forum on the Feasibility of UTas Divesting from Fossil Fuels Centenary Lecture Theatre, 6pm 22nd August, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay.

UTas student groups are co-hosting a forum to seeks answers to the questions: can fossil fuel divestment change the world for the better?

If so who benefits? And who loses? Is divestment a powerful act of leadership? 79% of student responses to a 2018 UTas sustainability questionnaire want the University to divest.

Dr John Hewson former leader of the Liberal Party will present financial perspectives of divestment. He publicly supported the Australian National University (ANU) in their moves towards divestment in 2014.

Tony Abbot, Prime Minister at the time attacked ANU’s ‘stupid decision’ to dump fossil fuel investments. Dr Hewson is highly credentialed having worked as an economist for the Reserve Bank, Australian Treasury and the international Monetary Fund. He is now a Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, at the ANU.

Other presenters include: Dr Naomi Edwards, Chair of Tasplan Super since 2011 managing the investments of approximately 150,00 Tasmanians Prof. Benjamin Richardson, Professor of Environmental Law at UTas has written multiple publications on sustainability and environmental governance including ’Socially Responsible Investment Law’ and ‘Divesting from Climate Change: The Road to Influence’. Dr Tom Baxter is the Corporate Governance Course Coordinator at the University of Tasmania, and has previously practiced as a lawyer, both in the Australian Government and privately.

Students at universities around the county have ongoing campaigns calling on their institutions to divest from fossil fuels. Hosts: Fossil Free UTas Tasmanian University Union Student Environmental Law Society, Australian Youth Climate Coalition, IMPACT UTas, Doctors for the Environment, Amnesty International Tasmanian University Medical Students Society 350.org
Chester James-Smith, Fossil Free UTas Facebook Page