SCORES of Oxford University graduates are today set to hand back their degrees in protest against fossil fuel investments.

They said a decision earlier this week by the university’s council to rule out investments in coal and tar sands was not enough.

It is the latest demand from the “divestment” movement, which has attracted the support of faith groups, universities and public pension funds across the country ahead of a United Nations climate change summit in Paris this year.

Last year, Oxford City Council became the first UK local authority to pledge it would make no direct investments in fossil fuel companies.

Today, almost 70 graduates of Oxford University, including three Oxfordshire Green Party councillors, will hand back their degrees in a symbolic protest.

A statement from the protesters said the degrees had “no value until a full divestment commitment, covering all fossil fuels and both direct and indirect investments” was reached by the university.

This is because the burning of fossil fuels is claimed by some scientists to be the main cause of global climate change.

The protesters will gather outside Oxford University’s Wellington Square offices between 1pm and 3pm.

After a “degree hand-back ceremony” is held, there will be a family-friendly garden party.

It comes after more than 100 university dons signed an open letter calling on it to take “a leading role” on the issue.

Calls for divestment were dismissed by the chief executive of multinational oil and gas company Shell, Ben van Beurden, as a “red herring.”

He said the movement created “the illusion of there being a silver bullet that is simply not there”.