The Divest Nobel campaign, calling on the Nobel Foundation to divest from coal, oil and gas companies made its first appearance outside of the The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, where the Physics Prize was announced on October 4th.
The Stockholm-based campaigners, dressed up as waiters, treated the press and other participants to ‘oil’ cocktails in champagne glasses and ‘coal’ canapés. This was a visual reminder to everyone of the fossil fuel investments that the foundation still maintains.
The Nobel Prize “makes a big contribution to human progress by highlighting its laureates”, and campaigners argue that commitment to furthering human progress is contradicted by continued fossil fuel investments responsible for driving climate change. For the invitees who did not want an oil cocktail there was also some cider, and leaflets with more information on the campaign.
The action sparked many good conversations with members of the press and other people interested in Nobel, and as the glasses were emptied the hashtag #nobelprize on Twitter was filled with demands for divestment and pictures from the action. In Norwegian daily paper Klassekampen there was also a opinion piece from the Divest Nobel campaign.
The group will keep working for a better Nobel prize, and have got their eyes firmly set on the next big date: the Nobel Prize Dinner on the 10 December.
Please sign the Divest Nobel petition and share it on Facebook or Twitter