The Socially Responsible Investment Engagement Working Group was established in September 2020 to recommend processes for implementing the fossil fuel portion of the College’s SRI Policy. 

The Group’s full report of recommendations is now available to download [pdf]. 

The Group has taken the view that the College’s overall approach to decarbonisation needs to be consistent, credible and joined up. As well as considering Imperial's investment policy for fossil fuel companies, setting out criteria they must meet to remain investible, the report also includes recommendations about Imperial’s policy for accepting research funding from them and reinforced the need for a strong College commitment to achieving net zero emissions. Imperial’s President’s Board has committed to implementing the report’s recommendations, but some small modifications to the process may be made as it is implemented and reviewed.

The report lays out a process for engaging with fossil fuel companies, using Imperial's world-leading expertise to engage and influence them with adopting a credible, transparent, strategic approach to achieving net zero by 2050. The College will be launching a pilot programme with a small number of fossil fuel companies in early 2022 to help refine these processes further before rolling them out more widely. 

To ensure the successful implementation and evaluation of the process, the College has established an SRI Engagement Monitoring Panel. In addition to its work on policy, the Panel will also work closely with the Partnerships Working Group and to help manage existing and new partner relationships, ensuring they meet the standards laid out in the report and the College’s Relationships Review Policy [pdf]

Further details of the Panel are listed below.  

SRI Engagement Monitoring Panel

SRI Engagement Working Group

The SRI Engagement Working Group was established as a task-and-finish group to develop and implement methods to monitor and assess progress the College is making in influencing fossil fuel companies through its research and collaborations, education programmes and influence as a world-leading university.  

The Group convened internal and external representation to draw on the expertise of the College community and ensure that the College’s assessment plan is benchmarked against best practice across the sector.  

The work of the SRI Engagement Working Group has been completed. 

SRI Engagement Working Group