A blog by FaithInvest Founding President Martin Palmer was featured today in Modern Church, a media outlet advocating 'for liberal theology in the British churches'.
In the blog post, Martin advocates an environmental politics that takes us beyond doom, gloom, sin and failure, and into a ‘just transition’. From the blog: 'The faiths, especially Christianity in its many forms, have been the most engaged in disinvestment and disinvestment advocacy and lobbying for disinvestment from fossil fuels, of any sector of Civil Society. From Religious Orders pulling out their modest but hard earned capital to the Church Commissioners creating a carbon neutral tracking system for faith investors, it has been the religious who have fuelled action on disinvestment.'
But, Martin argues, while disinvestment is well and good, there is an equally important next step, 'Because one of the real questions is what happens to the funds withdrawn? Are they then invested in funding alternatives to current fossil fuel driven economies? Do they go into sustainable energy, food, etc?'
'Indeed, where are the rest of the faith investments – the ones not in fossil fuels? How Faith-consistent is their investment given that every major faith tradition has now created environmental guidelines and teachings based on their own beliefs and values? As the report ‘Good Intentions’ by Faithinvest highlighted, just 55% of faiths invest in line with their own teachings on environmental and social justice principles.'
With elections on page one in the UK and the US, Martin concludes, 'as we engage with our future MPs and government as voters and Christians, let’s not just ask them to denounce sin – burning fossil fuels – but ask them about what exciting new investment plans they have; how they will help overseas countries to adapt and to mitigate without being sold out to the digital energy economy and let’s ask for plans which involve not just transition – but just transition.'
Be sure to read the entire blog, linked HERE