Columbia Students Accuse University Energy Center of Hiding Oil Industry Ties

Student activists have filed a formal complaint alleging a Columbia University thinktank hides its financial connections to fossil fuel companies. The complaint targets Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP). The center describes itself as an independent research organization. Students claim this is misleading due to the center's funding. The students belong to the university's chapter of the Sunrise Movement. They filed the complaint with New York City’s consumer protection bureau. They accuse the center of "deceptive trade practices." The students argue the public cannot properly judge the center's research without knowing who funds it. They call the situation "a disturbing lack of integrity." This is believed to be the first administrative complaint of its kind. It highlights growing student pressure on academic institutions to cut ties with the oil and gas industry.