Foundation
Divest Exeter was founded in December, 2016 by Hillary Davis '19 and Sophie Faliero '19 in an effort to improve Exeter's sustainability by going beyond simple actions such as turning off the lights or taking shorter showers. In the following months, the size of the club grew exponentially as students learned more about divestment. Now, Divest Exeter has upwards of eighty members who understand the benefits of divestment and are working hard to research divestment in order to present a detailed proposal to the Exeter financial administration.
We hope to create a financial plan to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in renewable energy sources so that the net impact on the school will either remain at zero or produce a profit. Though fossil fuel divestment campaigns have become more common on college campuses, Phillips Exeter Academy would be one of the first high schools to complete this change. Exeter prides itself on being a leader among the nation's preparatory schools, and therefore has the power to spark a nationwide movement through a successful divestment campaign.
In May, Hillary Davis (left), Theodore Jaffrey (middle) and Sophie Faliero (right) along with a few other members of the club held a business meeting with Exeter's Chief Financial Officer, David Hanson and Director of Investments Justin Merrill.