Goldsmiths bans fossil fuel and arms recruitment after 18 months of students protests

Goldsmiths University has banned oil, gas, mining, arms and tobacco companies from all careers and recruitment events, following an 18-month campaign by students. 

In a new Sustainable Careers Policy published by the university, Goldsmiths Careers and Employability states that these industries will be excluded from the university’s careers fairs and cannot advertise their vacancies to students.

A spokesman for Goldsmiths, said: “We are addressing the climate emergency in a number of ways and believe that renewing policies like this is an important step to securing lasting and meaningful change.”

The university worked with students and campaigners to co-design the new policy.

The spokesman said: “There was broad agreement from the outset of discussions and in particular on the need to take urgent local action to help avert climate disaster.”

The campaign against fossil fuel recruitment, which began in April 2023, was spearheaded by Goldsmiths Students’ Union and supported by student campaigning charity People and Planet. 

It comes as part of the UK-wide Fossil Free Careers campaign, coordinated by People & Planet. 

The campaign demands university careers services adopt an Ethical Careers Policy that excludes oil, gas and mining companies from recruitment relationships, in order to “end recruitment pipelines” into extractive industries.

To date Fossil Free Careers has seen eight universities and 18 student unions end recruitment ties with the fossil fuel industry, and has received endorsements from the National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU).

Maddie Bromfield, senior campaign coordinator at People and Planet said: “Goldsmith’s announcement is a significant step for the University in its commitment to ethics and sustainability, and is the result of sustained pressure from students across the university.

“It also shows what students can achieve when different groups unite to stand against the many injustices that UK universities are complicit in propping up.”

The Goldsmiths announcement comes following a month-long occupation of the universitie’s  Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), by campaign group Goldsmiths for Palestine (G4P).

The institution is also under pressure from University and College Union members over a major restructuring plan that would see 132 jobs cut– 17 per cent of the 769 academic roles at the university.

Goldsmiths Students’ Union said in a statement: “These redundancies significantly undermine the shared principles of an institution that prides itself on its positive vision and dedication to social justice.”

The redundancies affect staff across 11 departments including English and creative writing, history, music, politics and international relations and theatre and performance. 

The university said the cuts – which have now been approved after consultation – are part of a broader ​​“transformation plan” to save £20million due to a financial shortfall from falling student numbers.

A spokesman from the university said: “The actions we are taking are in response to the unprecedented challenges that Goldsmiths and other universities are facing from a funding system that is no longer fit for purpose and are part of a wider plan to ensure Goldsmiths continues to be a beacon for radical research and innovative teaching as well as an entry point for students.”

Pictured top: G4P members gather outside Goldsmiths University (Picture: G4P)