Globally, Churches manage billions of pounds of investments and have the opportunity to create ‘ripples throughout wider Church and society, encouraging others to do likewise’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts: Cameron Conant,
Rosie Venner,
Tuesday 4th June 2024: Campaigners are urging Churches and faith groups to increase investment in climate solutions through a new global initiative, the Green Investment Declaration, which launches today. Supported by UK charities Operation Noah and JustMoney Movement, the declaration aims to get signatories on the road to green investment, with the goal of having groups invest at least 5% of their assets in climate solutions within five years.
Yet Operation Noah’s Campaign Director Clare Fussel said the Green Investment Declaration is not just about the amount of money faith investors put into climate solutions, but also about the need for values-driven investors to publicly advocate for green investment, ‘creating ripples throughout wider Church and society, encouraging others to do likewise’.
Internationally, Churches manage billions of pounds of investments, with a UN Environment Programme official calling global faith groups – which collectively have trillions of dollars of assets and investments – the third largest economic power on earth. Church Investors Group’s 67 members (largely from Britain and Ireland) have combined investment assets of over £26bn.
Rallying faith groups to invest in climate solutions is more crucial than ever as global emissions must be nearly halved by 2030 in order to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Investing in climate solutions is key to ensuring a rapid phase out of fossil fuels – the primary source of planet-heating greenhouse gases – by creating cheaper and cleaner alternatives for transport, energy generation and industry. However, French energy analysts recently said that global investment in renewables slowed in 2023 due to regulatory gaps and political pressures.
Some UK Churches and dioceses – almost all of which have now divested from fossil fuels – are already investing in climate solutions. The Quakers in Britain have dedicated over 18% of their investment portfolio to climate solutions, including wind, solar, energy efficiency and public transport, and believe that the market value of their portfolio has increased as a result. Additionally, the Diocese of Truro in the Church of England estimates that 10% of its investment portfolio is now in renewables, part of its initiative to ‘cherish creation, cut carbon and speak up’.
Supporting Quotes
Clare Fussell, Campaign Director, Operation Noah: ‘By signing up to this Green Investment Declaration, your Church or organisation is not just having a direct impact through your investments but, through speaking publicly about it, you’re also creating ripples throughout wider church and society, encouraging others to do likewise. Together we can play our part in the restoration of Creation, starting with our finances.’
Sarah Edwards, Executive Director, JustMoney Movement: ‘We want to see a larger, more diverse movement of Christians acting to ensure money is used for good, as part of a wider movement of all faiths and none. Collectively, our investment decisions can be a powerful part of our climate action. We hope that a wide range of church investors – from denominations through to local congregations – will embark on a journey of investing for impact through the Green Investment Declaration, as together we pray and act for a fairer, greener world.’
Susie Weldon, Director of Communications, FaithInvest: ‘FaithInvest is delighted to see this Green Investment campaign launched by our friends at Operation Noah and the JustMoney Movement. As the leading global non-profit working to support faith groups to invest in line with their values, we urge all faith groups to take a close look and consider whether this initiative accords with their own aims when it comes to aligning their finances and investments with their beliefs and values.’
Upcoming Webinars in Support of the Green Investment Declaration
Operation Noah and JustMoney Movement are hosting two webinars to support the launch of the Declaration. Register for free here.
- Thursday 6 June, 2-3pm: ‘Why Green Investment? A Look at the Science and Theology’
- Thursday 20 June, 1-2pm: ‘ The Green Investment Declaration: How to join the movement’
Notes to Editors
- Further information about the Green Investment Declaration can be found here: Green Investment Declaration | FCI Collaboratorium (faithinvest.org).
- Case studies of Churches and faith institutions investing in climate solutions can be found here and FAQs about the Green Investment Declaration can be found here.
- Operation Noah is a Christian charity working with the Church to inspire action on the climate crisis. (www.operationnoah.org)
- JustMoney Movement is an ecumenical Christian charity campaigning and educating for a more just use of money to shape a fairer, greener world. (www.justmoney.org.uk)
