Princeton University rekindles ties to fossil fuels

The iconic Princeton University has quietly reversed a policy limiting academic research funding from fossil fuel companies, arguing the measure has proven to have a “disparate and unfair impact” on faculty members pursuing environmental research.

The New Jersey-based university had initially implemented the restrictions in 2022, as part of a broader effort by educational institutions across the US to dissociate from oil, gas, and coal. The policy included divesting from 90 companies with assets in those sectors in its endowment. 

According to Princeton, some faculty members have argued the directive limited their ability to secure funding for research on pressing environmental issues.

In an update published last week, three senior university officials stated the rules had “adversely and inequitably affected scholars whose research programs are addressing pressing environmental problems.” They pointed out that researchers lost access not only to external funding, but also collaborative partnerships focused on combating climate change, despite these efforts aligning with the university’s values.

Under the revised policy, Princeton’s endowment will continue to divest from fossil fuel companies, but faculty members will now be allowed to accept research funding from these companies for projects specifically aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of carbon emissions.

The measure aims to continue protecting academic freedom to publish results, Provost Jennifer Rexford, Dean of the Faculty Gene Jarrett ’97, and Dean for Research Peter Schiffer, said in their statement.

Students reacted negatively to the news. An editorial published in the university newspaper, The Daily Princentonian, qualified the decision as “a betrayal” of the University’s mission and academic integrity, as well as “a disservice” to its students and the global community.

“How can an institution that prides itself on shaping the future be so willing to sell it off to the very companies that are burning that future to the ground?,” the article reads. “Research funded by fossil fuel interests is more likely to support the industry and often serves to entrench fossil fuel reliance rather than advance solutions that run counter to their financial interests.”

Since the initial implementation of the policy to January this year, Princeton had cut funding ties with 29 companies and identified a list of 2,371 fossil fuel groups for potential dissociation. While Princeton had no direct links with most of these business, the number marked a significant increase from the original list of 90.

The university will no longer update such list, which had included mining giants such as BHP, as well as oil and energy titans ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. Princeton noted it will continue to disclose all external research funders and the amounts contributed each year.

According to its latest report, research sponsorships in 2023 included nearly $3.4 million from BP, $848,000 from ExxonMobil, $120,000 from Shell and slightly over $100,000 from Syncrude.

A congressional investigation by Democrats, published in April, identified several instances of oil companies collaborating with universities to advance their business strategies.