Epworth Investment Management Signs Green Investment Declaration

Epworth Investment Management, owned by the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, has signed the Green Investment Declaration, a global pledge to invest in climate solutions.

Supported by UK charities Operation Noah and JustMoney Movement – and endorsed by the World Council of Churches and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland – the Green Investment Declaration encourages Christian organisations around the world to move their money into climate solutions and to speak up about the need for increased global investment in the technologies and solutions that will address the climate crisis.

After divesting from planet-heating fossil fuels in 2021, Epworth Investment Management has now committed to investing more than five per cent of its financial assets in climate solutions.

Andrew Harper, Deputy CEO of Epworth Investment Management, which is owned by the Methodist Church’s Central Finance Board, said, “Millions around the world are suffering the most extreme effects of the climate emergency…people are dying, homes are being lost, there are catastrophes, floods, all sorts of natural disasters, and agriculture is under immense strain…we must act now…(which) is why we signed the Green Investment Declaration…we believe the climate emergency is real to the fullest extent and that action must be taken today.”

Clare Fussell, Campaign Director for Operation Noah, said, “We are delighted that Methodists have signed the Green Investment Declaration. We need to urgently shift to a low carbon economy if we are to reach net zero by 2050 and avert catastrophic warming. By signing this Declaration, the Methodists are showing important leadership to the wider investment world, and we call on other organisations to do likewise.”

Finance is critical to enabling the world to transition away from fossil fuels. Climate finance is growing, but not fast enough, with experts saying the world needs a huge and immediate injection of private finance alongside public funds to transition towards a greener future. Globally, Christian groups manage hundreds of billions of pounds of investments, with a UN official calling global faith groups the third largest economic power on earth. The Church Investors Group’s 67 members, largely from Britain and Ireland, have combined investment assets of over £26bn.

Operation Noah is a Christian charity working to inspire the Church to take action on the climate crisis. In addition to divesting from fossil fuels, Operation Noah encourages Churches and faith groups around the world to invest in climate solutions alongside implementing better land use practices, such as peat restoration and tree growing, as well as supporting mainstream campaigns which challenge the fossil-fuelled status quo. Learn more at www.operationnoah.org.