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LOUISVILLE — Since it was established in 1986 by a reunited Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) has consistently sought to effect change in companies’ governance and practices so that they more closely align with the mission and values of the PC(USA).
And while MRTI has addressed and will continue to engage companies on racial, gender, social and economic justice, the urgency of the climate crisis has caused the committee to increasingly focus its efforts in recent decades on environmental responsibility, introducing new strategies and tactics along the way to achieve the denomination’s goals.
Now, in addition to employing its longstanding tactics of correspondence, dialogue, voting shareholder proxies and recommending similar action to others, filing shareholder resolutions, and, when necessary, divesting from companies that contravene the Church’s position, MRTI moved in June to add, starting in 2026, a director voting strategy for those companies that it engages on environmental issues.
The exact language of the decision is that MRTI:
“May recommend holding board members accountable by voting against relevant directors at companies that have failed to establish a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and/or align their business plan with the goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius with a focus on directors at companies named by the General Assembly for focused engagement.”
“For the committee, this is certainly an escalation of tactics and strategy regarding climate issues and a more targeted approach,” said Simon Doong, associate for Corporate, Community & Church Engagement in the PC(USA)’s Office of Faith-Based Investing & Shareholder Engagement. “If a company is scoring low on the key metrics, MRTI may recommend voting against certain directors. Those recommendations would then be included in the proxy voting guidelines that MRTI issues every year.”
Doong noted that this is the first time the committee has adopted any potential action regarding director voting.
“By voting against directors of companies that are not progressing on key climate concerns, we are holding company leaders accountable for meeting their climate commitments,” said the Rev. Marci Glass, chair of MRTI. “Providing recommendations on director voting is an escalation of the PC(USA)’s shareholder engagement efforts with key companies. This action follows other faith and ecumenical investing partners with director voting policies in place.”
On Oct. 3, MRTI sent letters regarding the director voting action to the companies named by the General Assembly for focused engagement related to climate and environmental justice. Those companies include Ameren, American Airlines, Delta, ConocoPhillips, Duke Energy, Ford, General Motors, Occidental Petroleum, PPL Corporation and United Airlines.
The letter, over the signature of Katie Carter, director of Faith-Based Investing and Shareholder Engagement, informed the respective CEOs that relevant directors “may be voted against” if the company is failing to meet the specified criteria outlined in MRTI’s June action.
In closing, MRTI’s letter stated:
“To be clear, it is up to MRTI’s discretion regarding whether to vote against directors and they do not take these actions lightly. It is an expression of the PC(USA)’s commitment to climate justice and desire for responsible management of climate issues in the companies we are invested in.”
“This is important news both for Presbyterian entities with investments and individual Presbyterians,” said Doong. “It’s something that Presbyterians with investments could readily adopt as part of their shareholder activism.”
Watch for the release in March 2026 of MRTI’s next proxy voting guide, which may include director voting recommendations.
