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Webinar urges oil & gas divesting

The Anglican Communion Environment Network is holding an interactive webinar on Friday 26 March to share steps churches can take when divesting from fossil fuels.

Taonga News  |  25 Mar 2021  |

Anglicans have been invited to a webinar on this Friday 26 March to learn how their churches, dioceses and provinces can move towards divestment from fossil fuels.

The webinar has been jointly organised by the Anglican Communion Environmental Network, Operation Noah, Christian Aid, Tearfund and Eco-congregation Scotland, and will be held at 8.00-9.30am Aotearoa New Zealand time tomorrow. 

This province will be represented by Rev Jacynthia Murphy, who will speak about the impact of climate damage in the Pacific and tell the story of how the General Synod Te Hīnota Whānui of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia moved to divest from fossil fuels at Waitangi in May 2014. The webinar has been organised by the Anglican Communion Environmental Network in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2021.

The webinar introduction reports that across the Anglican Communion, many churches are already supporting a just and green recovery by divesting from fossil fuels and investing in clean alternatives.

These include the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Church of Ireland and the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia that have all passed motions to divest from fossil fuels.

The Church in Wales and Scottish Episcopal Church are set to debate divestment at governing body meetings in the coming months and the Church of England is under pressure to accelerate divestment from fossil fuels, following the motion on divestment passed at General Synod in 2018.

The webinar will provide an opportunity for Green Anglicans to find out how they can get involved in campaigning for divestment in local churches, episcopal units and at national levels.

The webinar will feature the following speakers:

Keynote speaker: Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford: Fossil fuel divestment, positive investment and the urgent need for a just and green recovery from Covid-19

Revd Dr Rachel Mash, Environmental Coordinator of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and Secretary to the Anglican Communion Environmental Network: The theological underpinnings of divestment

Revd Jacynthia Murphy, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia: The impact of the climate crisis in the Pacific Islands and decision of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia to divest

Very Revd John Conway, Provost of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh: How St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral divested from fossil fuels and what needs to happen now in the Scottish Episcopal Church

Revd Stuart Elliott, Vicar of Betws-y-Coed Parish Church and Member of Church in Wales’ Environment Group and Ethical Investment Group: Fossil fuel divestment in the Church in Wales and investment in climate solutions

Stephen Trew, Member of the Church of Ireland General Synod: The Church of Ireland divestment journey

James Buchanan, Bright Now Campaign Manager at Operation Noah: Key findings of the report Church investments in major oil companies: Paris compliant or Paris defiant?

The webinar will be chaired by Shilpita Mathews, Operation Noah trustee and member of Young Christian Climate Network (YCCN).

To register please follow this link.

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