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Taking further steps toward fossil fuel divestment and creating a Green Future Fund are among the matters to be considered by the Climate and Environmental Justice (CLJ) Committee of the 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
There are five matters of business coming before the CLJ committee, which will be moderated by Ruling Elder Linda Kennan of Lake Huron Presbytery, with Teaching Elder Michael Goodwin of Winnebago Presbytery serving as vice-moderator. The committee meets online June 22-24.
Items up for consideration include CJL-02, which calls for divestment from companies whose primary business is tied to fossil fuels, and CJL-01, which recommends divestment from two specific companies and continuing with the denomination’s current policies while also noting the need to “prioritize responses to the urgent needs associated with the existential threats of the climate crisis.”
CJL-01 is the response of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) to the 226th General Assembly’s directive on environmental policy. Among other things, MRTI’s report recommends that two companies, ConocoPhillips and Duke Energy, be placed on the General Assembly Divestment/Proscription List because they are not in compliance with established GA criteria related to the environment. MRTI engages and evaluates companies using specific guideline metrics and tries to positively influence companies’ governance and strategy in relation to things like climate change. However, no substantial change or improvement by ConocoPhillips or Duke Energy was detected by the PC(USA) in recent years.
“As we see governmental regulations decrease and as political pressure increases on companies to do less work on sustainability and human rights, I think we see our role as more important now than ever, and that’s to be the prophetic voice to these companies, encouraging them to maintain their climate goals, encouraging them to maintain their human rights programs and their diversity programs,” said Katie Carter, manager for the Office of Faith-Based Investing and Shareholder Engagement. “Often it’s other investors like us — other faith- and values-based investors — that are the only voices bringing these concerns to companies, so … corporate engagement is still valuable, even in sectors where it’s harder right now.”
CLJ-02, On Changing Course for a Green Future, is an overture from Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (SVP). It calls on the General Assembly to declare that the continued investment of PC(USA) funds in the exploration, development and extraction, refinement, transportation, and sale of fossil fuels is incompatible with the church’s mission and goals as well as with being faithful stewards of Creation. It also calls on PC(USA)-related fiduciaries to undertake the orderly removal of investments from all companies whose primary business is based on the extraction, refinement transport or sale of fossil fuels. The divestment would be completed by 2030, ideally, and PC(USA)-related fiduciaries would cease from initiating new investments in such companies but seek out suitable opportunities in renewable energy sectors.
Related to CLJ-01 and CLJ-02 is CLJ-05, which lays out on policy guidance from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. ACSWP is overturing the General Assembly to adopt “Intent, Effect, Haste: Ethical Guidance on Fossil Fuels” to assist the PC(USA) in making decisions about fossil fuels and their use. The document emphasizes that PC(USA) social witness policy should be framed around principles, such as these: social witness policy regarding the production, distribution and use of fossil fuels should not aim to continue or favor their use nor should it have the effect of further embedding their present use in society. However, it should be oriented toward practices that can most rapidly promote transitions to renewable energy sources and less harmful products while remaining faithful to PC(USA) values and commitments, the guidance notes.
CLJ-03, an overture from SVP, calls for the establishment of a permanent endowment fund in light of the church falling short on past commitments to cherish the Earth. The Green Future Fund would be used to make grants to support greenhouse gas emission reduction, renewable energy transition and adaptation to climate change and to support restorative processes in and to address harms suffered by marginalized communities and natural habitats in the U.S. and abroad. Grant money also could be used to address dislocation and community harms related to transitioning to renewable energy.
Regenerative farming is the subject of CLJ-04, another overture from SVP. It calls on Presbyterians to learn about and support regenerative farming practices to restore soil, heal the land and advance the goals of previous GA policy positions. It also calls for a deeper understanding of the theological, scientific, economic and social bases for public policy advocacy and lifestyle choices in support of such practices and for Presbyterian congregations and members to be encouraged to model faithful soil stewardship and to support local and regional food providers.
Information on streaming and viewing links will be available through the General Assembly website.
