MIT protestors end sit-in after 116 days

After a 116-day sit-in, a group of MIT students, professors and alumni has reached an agreement to end its protest.

Members of Fossil Free MIT, an organization that has been pressing the school to sell its holdings in fossil fuel companies and become carbon-neutral by 2040, came to an agreement with the university on Wednesday, Boston.com reported.

While the university did not divest from fossil fuel companies, it did agree to form an advisory committee on climate action and to further examine ethical concerns surrounding climate change, MIT’s Tech newspaper reported in a related article.

“We got the deal done,” Vice President for Research Maria T. Zuber was quoted in the Tech. “From an administrative point of view, we really, really wanted FFMIT to work with us because we share the same goal.”

In the agreement, the university will aim to reduce its carbon output by 32 percent by 2030, Boston.com added.

“MIT did not divest from fossil fuels because engagement with industries will enable progress to be made more quickly,” Zuber said in the Tech report. “The idea of shareholder responsibility is something we consider important. It’s not just a climate change issue.”