By Joey Zhang
In response to LSESU Palestine Society’s report calling for divestment as wsell as protest in the form of an encampment in May 2024, the LSE Council is reviewing its Environmental, Social and Government Policy (ESG) in the 2024/2025 academic year. In particular, LSE’s management will review their financial investments and endowment holdings.
The LSE Council has formed an ESG Review group, consisting of internal and external members of the LSE community with relevant expertise. The Council also aims to form a Consultative Group consisting of three students, three academic staff, and three professional services staff, all selected from LSE. This group will be tasked with providing feedback and recommendations to the Review group on the matter at hand.
LSESU will be selecting three LSE students to join the Consultative Group through a process designed to reflect the diversity of LSE’s community. Applications opened on 30 September 2024, asking students to express their motivations and their understanding of ESG processes. Interviews for shortlisted candidates are set to take place from 14 October 2024, with the final selection of students expected to be announced in early November. Applications for staff members closed on 4 October.
Members of both the Review Group and the Consultative Group will receive training on how LSE manages its endowments as well as the legal responsibilities of the school. Participation in the Consultative Group will include attending workshops, roundtables, and regular Review group meetings, where members will be given the opportunity to voice their opinion on how LSE should approach sustainable and ethical investment practice.
Beyond participating in the Consultative Group, the ESG Review Group and LSESU will be providing alternative platforms through which students can share their thoughts on LSE’s investments. This includes engagement sessions throughout the year, as well as the opportunity to provide written feedback to ESG Review Group as an individual or as a group.
More information on submitting written pieces to the group will be shared across Autumn Term and beyond.
