Fossil Fuel Divestment: Religious Institutions

Fossil fuel divestment is a moral argument, and religious institutions are uniquely positioned to make strong moral arguments.

Most faiths agree that Creation is God’s: ours to steward, but not ours to destroy. Environmental stewardship is thus a key tenet of many synagogues, mosques, and churches, and climate activism is nothing new for some religious communities. It is only reasonable to bring such institutions’ investments in line with their principles and divest from fossil fuels.

"With the civil rights movement, the youth led and the churches followed," points out Fred Small, minister of the Unitarian Universalist First Parish Church in Cambridge, Mass. The students are leading -- now it’s time for religious institutions to follow.

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Campaigns (2)

  • Salt Lake City
    Divest the Episcopal Church from Fossil Fuels
    "It is wrong to profit from wrecking the planet." - Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org The Episcopal Church must stand behind its marks of mission and be a part of the solution and not continue to support companies that contribute to climate change. The global crisis of climate change requires immediate action. We cannot address global poverty without also addressing environmental degradation caused by increasing carbon dioxide levels. Without any alternative options for energy, we in the Episcopal Church are all complicit, but unless we invest in renewable sources of energy, we will be forever in the situation of having to more so by supporting a company with our investments. The influence and size of the Episcopal Church makes it a prime candidate to be a leader in the domestic and global environmental movements. Let's follow the lead of the Anglican Church and divest from fossil fuels!
    13 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Perry Hodgkins Jones
  • Orange
    Saint Joseph Health Fossil Fuel Divestment
    Fossil fuels threaten the future of our planet and pollute the air, causing hundreds of thousands of cases of childhood asthma and killing tens of thousands of Americans each year. The industry spends billions to prevent adoption of policies for clean energy and clean air. Hospitals and health systems should draw the line and refuse to profit from or lend their financial support for these destructive practices. Divestment by healing institutions helps develop the social consensus that this must stop and weaken the political power of Big Oil.
    823 of 1,000 Signatures
    Created by Wendy Ring