As previously communicated, last year Vice-Chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil recommended to the University’s Council (the governing body of the University) that a group be established, including student and staff representatives, to review and update, if necessary and appropriate, the University’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy.

The current policy was implemented in 2016/17 and has not been the subject of significant review since. The revised policy will align with the University’s new Sussex 2035 strategy which identifies environmental and financial sustainability amongst its objectives and foundational principles, alongside human flourishing and ethical relations with our community. 

There is a clear desire to facilitate engagement with our stakeholder communities on the development of the revised policy and to create the space for transparency and challenge, controlled within a clear governance context with senior committee oversight.  

We will be holding the first briefing session on the policy review on Monday 24 February, and a few spaces remain. Please email internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk if you would like to attend. This first session is intended to set out the approach being taken, to ensure there is a common understanding of the investments that fall within this policy and to provide information on the current policy and our current holdings.

There is also the opportunity to submit written comments on the 10 guiding principles. If you would like to submit your views on the principles, please email them to internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk, by 5pm on Friday 7 March. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any further submissions after this date.

We will be following this up with a further invitation to share views as the review progresses. Details will follow at a later date. In the meantime, we do want to remind you of the need to ensure we demonstrate our values of kindness and respect for different views as we discuss these issues.