Vatican Bank board members have been called out by Greenpeace because of their links to the fossil fuel sector. According to a Greenpeace Energydesk investigation, Vatican Bank board member Sir Michael Hintze is the chief executive of the private hedge fund CQS Cayman, registered on the Cayman islands. The fund holds stocks worth $8.3 million Read more
The Pacific Island nations often cited as the most likely to disappear because of rising sea levels include Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. Kiribati has a population of just over 100,000. The Marshall Islands about 52,000. And Tuvalu close to 10,000. The problem for small Pacific Island nations is that on a world scale Read more
The Vatican may consider, but is not committed to, divesting its holdings in fossil fuels, an official has indicated. That is despite Pope Francis’s call in his encyclical Laudato Si’ for bold action to fight climate change and global warming, The Guardian reported. At a press conference on July 1, Flaminia Giovanelli from the Pontifical Read more
Two more parishes in Guam are installing photovoltaic energy-saving systems on their roofs in an effort to save money and help preserve the environment. The parishes of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey Church in Chalan Pago and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat have entered into a contract to purchase renewable Read more
The World Council of Churches has decided to withdraw its investments in fossil fuel companies. The move has been hailed by climate campaigners as a major victory. The WCC represents half a billion Christians in 345 member churches, including the Church of England, but not the Catholic Church. It is not clear divestment in fossil Read more
The most prominent Protestant seminary in the United States will divest itself of all investments in fossil fuels. “We have sinned . . .”, wrote Union Theological Seminary president Serene Jones in an article in Time magazine. Fossil fuel investments constituted 11 per cent of Union’s US$108 million endowment. Removing such investments is an act Read more
On Thursday last week, the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia unanimously passed a resolution to take all reasonable steps to divest shares in fossil fuel companies by mid-2016. Rod Oram, who moved the proposal, told synod that it “gives us the opportunity to offer leadership on, and to make a practical response Read more
On 7 September, the Anglican Diocese of Auckland voted overwhelmingly to withdraw its investments from fossil fuel companies. Youth organisation, Generation Zero, endorsed the moral leadership on climate change taken by the Diocese. Generation Zero spokesperson, Kern Mangan-Walker, said “New Zealand has a strong history of taking moral leadership on the important issues of our Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic Church says it will “reflect” on a decision by Auckland Anglicans to sell out of all fossil fuel investments within two years. On September 7, at the Anglican Diocese of Auckland Synod, the diocese voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling on the diocese to withdraw its investments from companies whose main Read more
The Anglican synod in Auckland is to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. The synod has decided to move away from fossil fuels because it encourages companies to find and exploit more oil, gas and coal. A spokesman said the church is concerned about the long term health of investments in the fossil fuel industry Read more