2025 saw growing momentum for faith-consistent investing

FaithInvest's Executive Chair Dave Zellner is encouraged by the growth in capital to build a more sustainable economy and by the launch of new tools to make faith-consistent investing more accessible than ever.

As we close out 2025, I feel encouraged by the continued momentum for faith-consistent investing and the broader responsible investment community.

This year has seen an increase in faith-aligned investment options. New funds, screening tools, and platforms are helping faith-based asset owners more effectively invest in line with their values. The investment industry is taking notice, and that attention is translating into real products and services that make faith-consistent investing more accessible than ever.

The numbers demonstrate increasing commitments to a sustainable world. Global investment in clean energy reached $2 trillion in 2024, doubling the level directed toward fossil fuels.

Community Development Finance Institutions have seen their assets surge by 615% since 2014, now nearly a half a trillion dollars toward microfinance, renewable energy, and affordable housing.

In Asia-Pacific, ESG-focused ETFs are growing at 10% annually and expected to reach $50 billion this year. These figures represent capital being deployed to build a more sustainable economy.

New frameworks emerging

Progress is also evident in how investors are addressing systemic risks. New frameworks are emerging to help investors integrate nature and biodiversity considerations into their decision-making.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, countries agreed to develop mechanisms supporting workers and communities affected by the energy transition. These developments reflect a growing recognition that long-term investment success depends on addressing climate change, wealth inequality, human rights, and the fair treatment of workers.

To be sure, the path forward is not without obstacles. Some investors have scaled back their responsible investment initiatives in response to political pressures. This makes the leadership of faith-based investors even more important.

Faith groups have practiced values-aligned investing for generations, guided by principles of stewardship, justice, and care for creation that transcend political cycles.

As our partners at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility recently noted in a recent statement on why faith groups have historically practiced sustainable and responsible investing, these priorities reflect not only our core values but also our responsibilities as fiduciaries. Companies that ignore systemic risks may endanger long-term returns and impose lasting costs on society and the planet.

Faith-based investors do not stand alone in this work. Numerous coalitions now support both faith-based and secular investors in pursuing their sustainable investment goals. This collaboration is essential. By combining our efforts, we achieve the synergy and scale necessary to influence corporate behaviour and address systemic economic risks.

As we look toward 2026, our mission at FaithInvest remains clear: to support faith groups in investing in line with their beliefs and values. I encourage all faith-based investors to continue pursuing investment strategies that align with their tradition's beliefs and values, and help build a safe, just, and equitable world.

Thank you for your continuing support. To those celebrating Christmas, may you have a joyful holiday, and to all, a healthy and hopeful New Year.