Global Conference on Religion and Sustainable Development

From Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS)

Anglicans input at global development conference that names faith partnerships as the 'new normal'

Posted on: July 20, 2015 1:23 PM

Based on contributions by Susan Kim and Anglican Alliance

Representatives from the Anglican Communion were among the presenters at a recent landmark Global Conference on Religion and Sustainable Development held in Washington, DC that recognised the important contribution of faith partnerships.

The conference on 7-9 July aimed to connect senior policymakers to research on how to work effectively in partnership with faith communities and faith-based organisations towards ending extreme poverty and promoting sustainable development.

Presenters underlined the central role faith-based actors play in provision of health care, working to end sexual and gender-based violence, addressing Ebola and HIV, and responding to humanitarian crises.

In his opening remarks, World Bank President Dr Jim Kim cited the Catholic social teaching for “a preferential option for the poor".  He said that every religion shares this fundamental commitment to the poorest and most vulnerable and that this provided a common platform with the international development community’s aim to end extreme poverty.

“We are the first generation in history that can say we can end extreme poverty in our lifetime,” Dr Kim said. “We can’t get there without all of you,” he added, addressing the faith communities. “We need prophetic voices to inspire us and evidence to lead the way.”

The Revd Rachel Carnegie, co-executive director of the Anglican Alliance, spoke at the opening panel and in a session on ending gender-based violence.

"It was a privilege to attend this conference and experience the range of speakers from faith-based, academic, UN and bilateral backgrounds,” Carnegie said.

“We not only gained insights on the significant and distinctive contribution of faith-based actors in relief and development, but also examined the most effective mechanisms for building partnerships.”

“This long standing development debate about the value of faith partnerships appears to have made a gear change. Such partnerships have become, as one UN participant said, the 'new normal',” she said.

Carnegie was citing Dr Azza Karam, senior advisor on culture for the United Nations Population Fund, who stated that the meeting at the World Bank had given legitimacy to this “new normal” of engagement with faith actors.

Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi of the Anglican Church of Burundi presented a case study in a conference session entitled “Sexual & Gender-Based Violence”. He shared a compelling portrayal of the role of the Church in working to end sexual violence. He talked of the importance of listening to the voices of survivors, creating the local church as a safe space to connect survivors with other services, transforming understandings of masculinities and ending the culture of impunity.

In Burundi, the Anglican Church, together with other faith-based organisations, has made a remarkable difference in the lives of people affected by this violence, Archbishop Bernard said. “We are called to have a concerted effort in areas of prevention, breaking the silence by denunciation, support for the victims, speaking out for the weak, the lonely, and the oppressed, without forgetting the power of prayer.”

Abagail Nelson, senior vice president of programmes at Episcopal Relief & Development, gave a presentation on the malaria initiative, Nets for Life. This included statistics on the remarkable and sustained impact of local church and community mobilisation on malaria prevention and treatment

Nelson said, “We were really honoured to be part of this historic event, and also to be able to showcase the extraordinary work of all our partners in addressing the challenges of extreme poverty and marginalisation.”

The conference also saw the launch of the Lancet medical journal series on faith and health, with contributions from academics and practitioners focusing on the contributions and challenges of the faith sector on health promotion and service delivery.

The Global Conference on Religion and Sustainable Development was convened and co-hosted by the World Bank Group, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, U.S. Agency for International Development, UK Department For International Development, GHR Foundation, World Vision and the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, a coalition of faith-based organisations and academic institutions.

The conference attracted a unique combination of policy makers, multilateral and bilateral agencies, religious leaders, development professionals from faith-based organisations and academics.

The conference process focused on reviewing the evidence base and developing specific recommendations for action to strengthen effective partnerships between religious and faith-based groups and the public sector. It sought to obtain leadership commitments to follow-on activities and to establish specific next steps.

Susan Kim is a writer for the World Council of Churches.

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Read More

Proceedings of the Conference on Religion and Sustainable Development

Lancet Series on Faith-based Health Care

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2015/07/anglicans-input-at-global-development-conference-that-names-faith-partnerships-as-the-new-normal.aspx

 

The moral imperative of climate action

July 12, 2015

Philip Freier and Thabo Cecil Makgoba

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-moral-imperative-of-climate-action-20150712-gi9hhd.html#ixzz3fmewxGWq

 

On Monday, the General Synod of the Church of England will likely pass two motions calling for urgent and bold action against climate change. The first urges all governments at the Paris Climate Negotiations to take bold action by transitioning to a low-carbon future and encourages the church to actively engage with the climate change issue, and the second affirms the recent decision to disinvest from coal and oil sands as a tactic to address the climate crisis.
As Anglican leaders of Australia and South Africa – two countries that have found themselves on the front lines of climate change – we celebrate these important and timely calls for climate action, based on our moral imperative to care for all of God's creation and the most vulnerable among us.
Both Australia and South Africa are already experiencing the negative impacts of rising global temperatures. Australia is one of the highest per capita carbon emitters in the world – we've seen double the amount of record hot days over the last 50 years, an increase in the frequency and intensity of weather events, a rising sea level, and further endangerment of our fragile coral reef and marine ecosystems. The story is similar in South Africa, where temperatures have risen over 1.5 times the global average over the past half century and are predicted to rise by 3-6 degrees Celcius in some areas by 2100.
Monday's motions of the Church of England – together with Pope Francis' ecology encyclical and many other faith voices – serve as a reminder that we have a moral responsibility to act on climate change. This message reminds us all that climate change is about more than the political and economic debate that all too often dominates the headlines. Climate change is first and foremost a social and moral concern.

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God bestowed on us the gift of life, but with that comes the obligation to be protectors of our earth, our environment, and our fellow man. For the sake of humanity, we must take our role as stewards of creation seriously, and we must act now to slow the causes of climate change lest we leave an even bigger burden on future generations.
This message comes at a critical and unprecedented moment in history. This December, world political leaders will gather in Paris to sign a universal agreement aimed at limiting global temperature rises well below two degrees Celcius. As we look toward this historic summit, we need our leaders to demonstrate their commitment to achieving a unified and ambitious agreement that phases out fossil fuels and promotes sustainable development worldwide.
We join the General Synod in calling on the faithful to remind their leaders of the moral imperative to act now in order to put the world on track towards slowing the devastating impacts of climate change. We implore our leaders to take a moment to reflect on how their personal beliefs instruct their actions and moral compasses.
We have seen many countries make ambitious commitments to reduce carbon emissions, and we expect more countries – including Australia and South Africa – to announce their commitments in the coming weeks and months. Momentum is indeed building as this year's deadline for an agreement nears, but we must continue to pressure our leaders to formalise these commitments as soon as possible in order to ensure that we reach a strong, collaborative deal in Paris.
There is no longer a question about what is causing climate change; science clearly indicates that human activity is responsible for rising global temperatures that are causing dangerous changes to rainfall patterns, ecosystems, and sea levels.
All too often, the effects of these changes are most acutely felt by vulnerable populations, who have done the least to contribute to climate change. Australia's Pacific neighbours are already badly affected, with Kiribati recently asking that its people be moved to Fiji to escape rising sea levels.
God commanded us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. These are our neighbours, and we quite simply must stand with them. Indeed, we have the capability – and an ethical obligation – to put an end to this vicious and unjust cycle of climate injustice.
It is up to each and every one of us to protect the dignity of humanity from the avoidable, but increasingly overwhelming effects of climate change. We invite you to follow the call for climate justice, expressed in the global campaign of ecumenical ACT Alliance and inspired by the World Council of Churches' pilgrimage of justice and peace.
Never before have we had a more vital yet opportune moment to take decisive action on one of the most important issues of our time. Momentum for action on climate change continues to grow. We pray that the moral call from the General Synod and other faith voices serves as inspiration to all of us, but especially to our leaders, who have the power to enact real, universal change. With this power comes a moral responsibility to do what is right for the future of this earth and mankind.

Archbishop Dr Philip Freier is the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate of Australia. He has been a strong advocate for moral responsibility over climate change.
Archbishop Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba​ is the Archbishop of Anglican Church of South Africa and the Primate of Southern Africa. He is also the Global Climate Justice Ambassador for ACT Now for Climate Justice, a Climate Justice campaign run by ACT Alliance.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-moral-imperative-of-climate-action-20150712-gi9hhd.html#ixzz3fmf2pzVl

 

C045 Environmentally Responsible Investing (General Convention of the Episcopal Church)

C045 Environmentally Responsible Investing
Topic: Responsible Investment

current text | original text

Committee:

16 - Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation

Proposer:

Massachusetts

Current version of the text

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church welcomes the release of the Environmental  Protection Agency’s proposed carbon rule for existing power plants; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention calls upon the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the Episcopal Church Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean renewable energy in a fiscally responsible manner, and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention calls on the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the Episcopal Church Foundation  to refrain from purchasing any new holdings of public equities and corporate bonds of fossil fuel companies, and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention urges all dioceses and parishes of the Episcopal Church to engage the topic of divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in clean energy within the coming year.

 

 

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/C045/current_english_text

 

A030 Create Task Force on Climate Change (General Convention of the Episcopal Church)

A030 Create Task Force on Climate Change
Topic: Structure

current text | original text

Committee:

16 - Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation

Proposer:

EC Committee on Science, Technology and Faith

Current version of the text

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society is directed to implement a program to develop parish and diocesan resources designed to support local ecologically responsible stewardship of church-related properties and buildings.  The program shall be implemented in cooperation with an Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation composed of one person from each province by April 1, 2016. Each province member of the Advisory Council shall convene, in their respective provinces, Regional Consultive Groups ("RCG's") on the Stewardship of Creation.  Each RCG shall be comprised of no fewer than five experts in areas of environmental sustainability appropriate to the demographic, ecological, cultural and geographic specifics of each region.  These should include, but not be limited to, consultants in food and water security, property development, alternative energy, and engineering.  Each RCG will also include theologians, educators and liturgists to provide resources in education and formation.
These RCGs shall:
1. Compile and develop theological and formational material for teaching the theology of stewardship of creation;
2. Create networks designed to share ideas and information for practical application among the regions, such as sustainable development and green conversions of church- related properties, including without limitation, energy audits, solar conversions and other alternative energy, community gardens, and development of fallow property;
3. Be available for consultation to the Dioceses and Parishes.
The Advisory Council on the Stewardship of Creation shall create a structure for allocation of money to fund RCG initiatives at Parish and Diocesan levels within a year of the 78th General Convention, and serve as the granting body; and be it further
Resolved, that $700,000 be allocated for this purpose, which includes the $500,000 already allocated to the Fifth Mark of Mission, so that $100,000 will be available for the support of the RCGs themselves, and $600,000 be available to provide direct grants to Dioceses and Parishes in the implementation of these programs and support of measurable pilot projects.
Of the $100,000 funding the RCGs, $40,500 is to be allocated for the Task Force meetings. Recognizing that this is new work, and a newly formed taskforce, they shall convene in person for their initial meeting, and thereafter determine their needs for future meetings, with funding available for them to meet once yearly. The remaining $59,500 is to be used for regional meetings of the RCGs according to regional needs; and be it further
Resolved, that the Advisory Council shall report back to the 79th General Convention on the progress and ongoing results at the local and provincial levels.  

Explanation

The question of whether or not climate change is occurring is no longer open. Scientists, by broad agreement, see that an increase in the Earth’s atmospheric temperature is driving changes in sea level, storm intensity, and large-scale and local climate instability. The Church has a responsibility to respond on a number of levels to these changes. Church buildings may be lost or relocated. Existing industries may be imperiled, and new industrial challenges will emerge, creating significant economic difficulties for governments and citizens worldwide. There will be significant impact on wildlife. Agriculture will have to adjust to the changing weather and, as it is doing that, food insecurity in this nation and others may expand beyond present levels. All of these factors together will require a coordinated response for which, at present, little planning has occurred.

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/A030/current_english_text

The Episcopal Church voted to divest from fossil fuels.

The Magazine: Divest. Re-invest. Rejoice.

July 8, 2015 / 8 Comments

The Episcopal Church voted to divest from fossil fuels.
I write that sentence and lean back in my chair, beaming in amazement. I’ve been working toward this moment for a long time, and lo, it is here. I can hardly believe it.
The Episcopal Church now becomes the third national faith group in the United States to divest from the fossil fuel industry, joining the United Church of Christ, which divested in 2013, and the Unitarian Universalist Association, which divested in 2014.
Other faith groups are also moving forward on divestment. To cite some examples, last year the World Council of Churches, which represents half a billion Christians worldwide, decided to divest from fossil fuel companies. In January, the United Methodist Church announced that its $21 billion pension fund would divest from coal. The Church of England is divesting from coal, and Anglican churches and dioceses in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom have divested from fossil fuels.
So far the Episcopal Church is the largest denomination in the U.S. to divest from all fossil fuels, and surely it won’t be the last.
The decision made by the Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention on July 2, 2015, came as a surprise even to the most ardent supporters of the divestment resolution. Several members of our grassroots network of activists, Episcopalians for Fossil Fuel Divestment and Clean Energy Reinvestment, attended the convention, which was held in Salt Lake City. A friend tells me that shortly before the House of Deputies took the vote that sealed the deal, she and another activist exchanged a look of amazement and confessed to each other their tentative hope: Maybe the resolution will actually pass! 
Not only did the resolution pass – it passed by an overwhelming margin of 3-1.
I had the sweet responsibility of informing Bill McKibben. It turns out that one of the greatest satisfactions in the life of a climate activist is to be able to give Bill McKibben some good news.
Bill called the Episcopal Church’s decision “unbelievably important.” He added: “The Episcopal Church is putting into practice what the Pope so memorably put into words. It’s an enormous boost to have communities of faith united on the most crucial question facing the planet.”
Why is this decision such good news? Because the Episcopal Church is sending a powerful message to the world: it makes no financial or moral sense to invest in companies that are ruining the planet.
Divesting from fossil fuels and investing in clean energy will accelerate the transition to a just, healthy, and low‐carbon future. Engaging in stockholder activism isn’t good enough – not when an industry’s core business model needs to change. Changing light bulbs isn’t good enough – not when an entire social and economic system needs to be transformed. Waiting, watching, and wringing our hands isn’t good enough – not when the Earth cries out for healing, and when the poor, who are affected first and hardest by climate change, cry out for justice and mercy.
Averting climate catastrophe requires that at least 80% of known fossil fuel reserves remain where they are, in the ground. The only way to keep them there will probably be some combination of carbon pricing, governmental regulation, and strong international treaties. How can we build the spiritual, moral, and political pressure to accomplish that? We can divest from fossil fuels. We can align our money with our values. We can make it clear that fossil fuels have no place in a healthy portfolio if you’re hoping for healthy kids or a healthy planet.
I don’t know to what extent the release of the Pope Francis’ encyclical several weeks ago affected the divestment decision that was made by the Episcopal Church, but I do know that countless people the world over have been inspired the Pope’s bracing reminder that the climate crisis is not just a scientific, political, or economic concern, but also an issue that raises fundamental moral and spiritual questions.
What kind of world do we want to leave our children? What does it mean to live with reverence for the living, intricate, beautiful biosphere into which you and I were born? What responsibility do we have for ensuring that the web of life continues intact for generations yet to come? What responsibility do we have for the poor? How can we possibly love God and our neighbor if we scorch and desecrate the world that God entrusted to our care, and dislocate, drown, and starve our neighbors, beginning with the poorest?
The Episcopal Church resolution commits more than $350 million for divestment, and it urges all parishes and dioceses in the Church to engage the topic of divestment and reinvestment within the coming year, potentially unlocking an additional $4 billion in assets. The pension fund, which manages $9 billion, was not included in the final version of the resolution. Episcopalians for Fossil Fuel Divestment and Clean Energy Reinvestment looks forward to ongoing conversations with the pension board, recognizing that all of the Church’s assets are called to serve God’s mission and that the Episcopal Church is now on record in recognizing that restoring Creation is at the center of God’s mission today. (For more discussion of the resolution, here is an interview I gave to our local newspaper.)
Sometimes it seems that human beings are determined to careen toward catastrophe. Oddly enough, it gives me hope when I consider that no one knows whether or how we will save ourselves from disaster.  I keep thinking of a piece of wisdom that has been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” Not knowing what, if anything, will make humanity change course gives me energy to be persistent and creative, even if my efforts seem insignificant. Maybe this letter to urge divestment, this phone call, this lobbying for carbon pricing, this climate rally, this campaign to stop new pipelines, this vegetable garden, this decision to walk rather than drive, this willingness to borrow rather than to buy – maybe each small effort will combine mysteriously with other people’s efforts and suddenly we will surprise ourselves and society will shift to a life-sustaining path. I can’t argue with a remark that country music singer-songwriter Naomi Judd once made: “A dead end street is a good place to turn around.”
Unexpected changes, shifts, and transformations happen. Call it chaos theory. Call it an expression of “punctuated equilibrium,” Stephen Jay Gould’s term for the way that a system can look completely stable even though an unseen tension or energy is secretly building up. Suddenly it bursts forth, producing a new species, moving tectonic plates apart, or generating abrupt, rapid, and unforeseen changes in society. (For a wonderful essay that develops these ideas, see David Roberts’ “For a Future to Be Possible: Hope & Fellowship.”)
History is like that: non-linear and full of surprises. So, too, is the Holy Spirit. She blows where she wills, opening minds and touching hearts, making all things new.
The prophet Isaiah was right. Awakened to the presence of a merciful, dynamic, and ever-living God, Isaiah heard God say: “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
We just saw it happen: the Episcopal Church voted to divest from fossil fuels.
Want to know what will happen next in the ever-expanding, unpredictable, and non-linear movement to save the planet? Find out. Jump in and join the struggle. Do what you can, even if it seems insignificant. And get ready to be surprised.

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From the blog of the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care, Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts   

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/the-magazine-divest-re-invest-rejoice/

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/A030/current_english_text

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/C045/current_english_text

 

Episcopal Church resolutions on fossil fuel, climate change

Fossil fuels, climate advisory committee resolutions move to deputies

By ENS staff | June 30, 2015 4 Comments |

[Episcopal News Service – Salt Lake City] The House of Bishops passed two resolutions June 28 and June 29 aimed at environmentally responsible investing and creating a climate change advisory committee. The resolutions now move to the House of Deputies for approval.
Bishops passed Resolution C045, which calls upon the Investment Committee of Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund and the Episcopal Church Foundation “to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean renewable energy in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The amended version of C045, one of four resolutions that called for fossil fuel divestment, passed the house in a voice vote after an amendment removed the Church Pension Fund from the resolution.
Retired Bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson, an outgoing Church Pension Fund trustee, proposed the amendment to remove the Church Pension Fund from the resolution.
“The church and the pension fund are two separate entities, and they have different missions,” he said, adding that the church’s mission is to “love God and do good in the world.”
The fund’s mission is to “provide and ensure all pensions promised to all our clergy and our lay employees,” Robinson said.
The pension fund is a corporate entity under New York law, Robinson said. “We are not allowed to defer from our fiduciary responsibility. If the resolution passed as written … the pension fund would have to say no,” he said. “It’s not as simple as it may seem.” He cited a similar problem that the United Church of Christ experienced.
A large number of assets in portfolios are combined, he explained. “You can’t just slip one or two or five out of there. You have to leave that fund.” In some cases, the Church Pension Fund worked for decades to get into these funds; once you leave, you can’t return, he said. “It would come at an enormous cost to us.”
At least four other bishops testified in favor of the amendment to remove the pension fund from the resolution, all citing fiduciary duty.
Bishop Suffragan Paul E. Lambert of Dallas warned of the unintended consequences of including the pension fund, which could affect pensions of younger clergy and those working in smaller congregations, he said.
Others, like Bishop Scott Barker of Nebraska whose diocese submitted one of the four divestment resolutions, opposed the amendment, saying, “Money is power.”
The Episcopal Church has financial assets totaling billions of dollars; more than $380 million in trust assets; $9 billion in clergy retirement funds; and another $4 billion among parishes and dioceses. “Importantly, the church endeavors to make a difference with its money – by investing in socially responsible ways,” according to a report on responsible corporate investment submitted to General Convention from the Executive Council Investment Committee.
The Church Pension Group, which includes the Church Pension Fund, is an independent agency of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society; its policies are not bound by General Convention resolutions. The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society is the name under which The Episcopal Church is incorporated, conducts business, and carries out mission.
Following a June 25 hearing of the Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation Committee, T. Dennis Sullivan, retired president of the Church Pension Fund and a member of the Executive Council Investment Committee, said he doesn’t think there’s disagreement on whether or not there exists a need to address climate change, but rather whether divestment is the right strategy.
“I think it does come down to, when we’re considering divestment, a judgment about whether divestment is going to further the goals that we all share,” Sullivan told Episcopal News Service. “And here is where I think the disagreement can occur. I would argue that divestment not only is likely to be ineffective for a variety of reasons, but also counterproductive to the broad goal of improving the environment.”
Matt Gobush, a visitor from the Diocese of Dallas, and former chair of the Standing Committee on International Peace and Justice, came to convention to testify on both resolutions favoring creating an advisory committee that could empower individuals, congregations and dioceses to make everyday changes to reduce their carbon footprints.
“(Divestment) would be very costly to the church and have very little impact,” said Gobush, who is a senior adviser for integrated advocacy, public and government affairs at ExxonMobil, during a June 28 interview with ENS. “There are more effective ways that the church can do so. Now I’m speaking as an Episcopalian and an individual about what I can do personally to decrease my carbon footprint that ultimately is more effective than divestment.
“And ultimately divestment is divisive … it’s basically saying that we don’t want to talk to you anymore. We no longer want to be a shareholder, we no longer want to use our influence as a church to make our views know inside a corporate boardrooms.”
The global campaign to divest from fossil fuels has gained momentum and has become the most talked about divestment movement since that of apartheid South Africa. Cape Town Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who fought against apartheid in South Africa, is a strong voice in the movement to divest from fossil fuels.
A handful of dioceses across The Episcopal Church have passed resolutions in favor of divestment, including Western Massachusetts, Massachusetts and Newark. GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental organization rooted in Diocese of Newark, and others have called for divestment in fossil fuels.
“You might have been surprised to see a divestment and reinvestment resolution from Nebraska,” said the Rev. Betsy Bennett, a deputy from the Diocese of Nebraska. “This spring and early summer have brought record-breaking rainfalls to Nebraska and many areas have been flooded at least once this year. The little parish church in DeWitt, Nebraska, had 4 feet of water in its basement this spring and it’s still drying up.
“Nebraska’s prosperity rests on agriculture. Agriculture depends on climate stability. Don’t be surprised by our concern. We know something isn’t right. We know our way of life is threatened, our farms and ranches, and God have mercy on us, the lives of our children and grandchildren are threatened. More of us would like to be able to use clean energy instead. Help us choose life. Divest and reinvest.”
For two years, Episcopalians in favor of divestment have been working to facilitate the conversations that led up to the introduction of the General Convention resolutions, said the Rev. Stephanie Johnson, who serves on Executive Council’s Science, Technology and Faith Committee.
“We met with Church Pension Fund, we met with the Episcopal Church Foundation, to tell them we wanted to move divestment; we wanted to be straightforward with them, tell them what we were working on and tell them we are committed to this,” she said in an June 29 interview with ENS.
“We heard a lot from them, they heard a lot from us, and that was part of our strategy, to have a lot of conversations. And Committee 16 (Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation), this new environmental committee, did a phenomenal job of taking four resolutions and putting it together into a robust, thoughtful resolution that offers the church a way forward in this and gives it a really prophetic voice.”
Johnson praised the House of Bishops for passing C045.
“I’m so energized by this, this is huge,” said Johnson. “I mean this is what we’ve been hoping for, and as for dioceses and individual congregations, the resolution that was crafted said we are inviting them into conversation and reflection. This is not a call for them to do it, this is an invitation for them, if they would like to participate in divestment.”
In April, the Church of England, citing “a moral responsibility to protect the world’s poor from the impact of global warming” announced it would divest from tar sands oil and thermal coal, two of the most heavily polluting fossil fuels. It did not completely divest from all oil and gas companies where its corporate engagement has had some success.
The Episcopal Church engages in shareholder advocacy through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
The House of Bishops adopted Resolution A030, which originally called for the creation of a task force, but was modified to call for the creation of a climate change advisory committee with one representative from each of The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces. The resolution also calls on each province to create a Regional Consultative Group composed “of no fewer than five experts in areas of environmental sustainability appropriate to the demographic, ecological, cultural and geographic specifics of each region.”
Diocese of Florida Bishop S. Johnson Howard offered an amendment, adding language stipulating that the advisory committee membership would represent what he described as “the diversity of scientific opinion on climate change and global warming” in order to give the committee’s work credibility in the wider world.
Two bishops responded that they believe, with the scientific community decidedly on one side of climate change at this point, little credible diversity could be added. The amendment failed.
Bishop of Rhode Island Nick Knisely, the resolution’s proposer, testified during a hearing of the Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation, that the resolution was not intended to start an argument about the existence of climate change, but rather to provide the church with the resources to respond pastorally to people who are affected by climate change.
— Lynette Wilson, an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service, and General Convention correspondents Tracy J. Sukraw and Sharon Sheridan contributed to this report.

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/06/30/fossil-fuels-climate-advisory-committee-resolutions-move-to-house-of-deputies/

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/A030/current_english_text

http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015-resolutions/C045/current_english_text