Methodist Council requests advisory body to recommend disinvestment from all oil and gas companies not currently aligned with the Paris Agreement
12 October 2020
The Methodist Council has today voted to request its advisory body (the Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment or JACEI), to recommend disinvestment by the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church (CFB) from all oil and gas companies which are not currently aligned with the Paris Agreement target of a global temperature rise of well below 2 degrees.
Commenting on the decision, the Revd Jonathan Hustler, Secretary of the Conference, said: “The focus on climate ethics has been at the heart of the environmental work of the Church and the CFB for over a decade and this decision further reflects our joint commitment for urgent action to tackle the climate emergency.”
The CFB manages investment funds for the Methodist Church. It receives ethical advice from JACEI, which reports each year to the Methodist Conference.
Following today’s vote, JACEI will consider the request and report to the Methodist Conference in 2021 on advice it gives to the CFB.
The Methodist Council also today voted in favour of further work to be done across the Connexion towards reducing the carbon footprint of the Church. The Council will receive this work in January 2021.
Ends
Notes
The Methodist Council meets quarterly and undertakes ongoing work on behalf of the Methodist Conference which congregates annually.
The full resolution passed today is:
The Council supports the request that JACEI recommends that the Central Finance Board fully
implements Notice of Motion 2017/109, and disinvests before the 2021 Conference from all oil
and gas companies which are not currently aligned with the Paris Agreement target of a global
temperature rise well below 2 degrees.