However, the South Belfast MLA said her party does not endorse any occupation of university buildings, and supports constructive dialogue between students and university management to reach a positive outcome.
She said Queen’s University must look at where its money goes, after it was revealed some of the institution’s money is invested in oil and gas companies, among others.
“Global warming is one of the greatest challenges facing us, so it is important we accelerate what we are doing to address factors contributing to the damage being done to the planet, including fossil fuels. Such fuels are at the heart of much of our energy supply and also contribute towards many other products, so changing technologies and behaviours are not going to be straightforward.
“That is why it is important large institutions provide strong leadership. Queen’s has that opportunity through its investment fund. It must see if it can make realistic changes to both stop funding oil and gas companies, and also help do its part to develop long-term energy targets.
“I support the aims of the Fossil Free campaign at Queen’s, and urge the university to respond proactively and constructively to this agenda. However, Alliance does not endorse any occupation of university buildings, and rather encourages students to engage with the university to develop a realistic plan to achieve the best outcome for the local and global environment.”