AMA Passes Resolution on Divesting from Fossil Fuels June 13, 2018

Good news: The American Medical Association has passed a resolution calling on itself to divest from companies that get the majority of their income from fossil fuels. The resolution was written by PSR’s own Todd Sack (PSR National board member and PSR/Florida), and was passed with the help and support of others including Peter Orris (PSR/Chicago).

This new AMA policy does a lot more than move AMA’s investment away from the fossil fuel companies. AMA also pledges to do business only with vendors that have environmental sustainability policies, and AMA also commits to help individual physicians and other professional health organizations to proceed with divestment. The full text of the policy appears below.

Divestment of Fossil Fuels Investments

Official Policy of the American Medical Association

June, 2018

“AMA TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH FROM THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE BY ENDING ITS INVESTMENTS IN FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES”

The Board of Trustees recommends that

1. Our American Medical Association, AMA Foundation, and any affiliated corporations work in a timely, incremental, and fiscally responsible manner, to the extent allowed by their legal and fiduciary duties, to end all financial investments or relationships (divestment) with companies that generate the majority of their income from the exploration for, production of, transportation of, or sale of fossil fuels; and
2. that our AMA choose for its commercial relationships, when fiscally responsible, vendors, suppliers, and corporations that have demonstrated environmental sustainability practices that seek to minimize their fossil fuels consumption; and
3. that our AMA support efforts of physicians and other health professional associations to proceed with divestment, including to create policy analyses, support continuing medical education, and to inform our patients, the public, legislators, and government policy makers.

Resource contact:
Todd L Sack MD FACP
American Association of Public Health Professional & Physicians for Social Responsibility
tsack8@gmail.com 904-403-6446