DivestInvest for Health

The document argues that continued investment in fossil fuels contradicts the medical commitment to 'do no harm' and provides a five-step process for health organizations to transition their assets. It highlights the financial risk of 'stranded' carbon reserves and the economic opportunity of renewable energy, citing the fossil fuel sector as the worst performing in the S&P500 since 2007. The guide recommends using the Carbon Underground 200 to identify divestment targets and suggests reinvesting at least 5% of portfolios into climate solutions.

• The health sector is encouraged to divest from fossil fuels to resolve an "ethical contradiction" between profiting from climate-accelerating businesses and the professional commitment to "do no harm".
• The DivestInvest campaign recommends a three-part commitment for institutions: immediately stopping new investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies, divesting from those companies as defined by the Carbon Underground 200, and prioritizing the reinvestment of at least 5% of the portfolio into climate solutions like clean technology, transit, and renewable energy.
• Financial data suggests that fossil fuel investments are increasingly high-risk; the energy sector has been the worst performing part of the broad market S&P500 since 2007, and assets may become "stranded" as the world transitions to renewables.
• Renewable energy is becoming more economically competitive, with solar panel prices falling 50% between 2016 and 2017 and wind power costs in some regions being one-half to one-third those of natural gas or coal plants.
• The guide outlines a five-step organizational process for divestment: finding allies, auditing current investments, defining the specific 'ask' (divestment criteria), making the health and financial case to decision-makers, and registering the commitment.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). DivestInvest for Health. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. DivestInvest for Health. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=DivestInvest for Health |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentnddivestinvest, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{DivestInvest for Health}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DI-Health-Guide-.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }