Introducing Faithful Finance, a new, online course developed by FaithInvest
Pope Francis and many faith leaders to attend COP28 (we'll be there too)
Roundtable TOMORROW: Faith, Science and Philanthropy: Uniting for Climate Action ahead of COP28
The next FCI Interest Group Quarterly Forum is on Dec 7
Two remarkable recent FaithInvest events in Rome and London
Daoists launch a major commitment to ethical investing
Introducing a new online course on faith-consistent investing aimed at faith-based organisations
There has been a huge growth of interest in faith-based investing in recent years as faith groups and individuals increasingly seek to reflect their values in their finances. Now FaithInvest has developed a groundbreaking course aimed at equipping participants with the basic knowledge and tools needed to align their investment policies and strategies with their deeply held faith values.
Faithful Finance: An Introduction to Aligning your Investments with Faith Values is the first live-taught online course aimed specifically at faith-based organisations and suitable for all religious traditions.
This unique course will be delivered in four dynamic and engaging 90-minute sessions, covering key topics such as:
The foundational principles of faith-consistent investing (FCI), from concepts and strategies to the steps to begin or deepen your own FCI journey
The role of faith-consistent investing in building a better world for people and planet
The merits and challenges of empowering assets with purpose
How to engage with financial intermediaries with clarity and confidence
Find out more and register today by visiting our website!
In a sign of how seriously he views the climate crisis, Pope Francis will attend the COP28 climate conference later this year – the first time a pontiff has taken part in the UN environmental meeting since they started in 1995.
The Pope will be in the United Arab Emirates from December 1-3. Many other faith leaders are also expected to attend. The COP runs from November 30 to December 12.
Religious groups will have a more prominent role in this year's COP, which for the first time will have a Faith Pavilion hosting a series of talks and presentations as well as networking and advocacy.
FaithInvest will also attend the COP this year. FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold will give the opening remarks at the Faith
Pavilion on Monday December 4, discussing faith-consistent investing; appropriately, finance is one of the themes for the whole COP that day.
The Faith Pavilion will hold 65 sessions with 300 speakers from every corner of the world; 120 faith-based organisations have signed up to take part. More from: https://faithatcop28.com/.
Roundtable tomorrow: Faith, Science and Philanthropy Uniting for Climate Action ahead of COP28
FaithInvest and the Laudato Si' Movement are holding a unique, high-level event bringing together leaders in the areas of science, faith and philanthropy to discuss how to scale up urgent action on the climate crisis.
Speakers include Prof Johan Rockström, Director of the renowned Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Sr Alessandra Smerilli of the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development, and Dr Andrew Steer, CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, the largest philanthropic commitment to fight climate change and protect nature. Live-streamed to YouTube – see below for the link.
FaithInvest's quarterly FCI gathering: Thursday 7 December
10.00 EST, 15.00 GMT, 16.00 CET, 17.00 EAT
At our December FCI Interest Group Forum we will focus on governance for faith-based investors, with guest speaker Rev Dr Andrew Harper, Chief Responsibility Officer at Christian ethics-based investment manager Epworth Investment Management.
Rev Dr Andrew Harper
In addition, we'll provide an overview of ethical oversight committees for the faiths and introduce our upcoming live-taught online training course on faith-consistent investing, Faithful Finance, which commences next February.
What an amazing day we had at our roundtable in Rome recently, discussing how to ensure our investment decisions are rooted in the experiences of those most affected by them.
The event, co-hosted by FaithInvest and Operation Noah, featured speakers such as Dr Lorna Gold, FaithInvest CEO; Paul Jaffe, head of ESG: Real Assets for the Church Commissioners; Mike Sturgess, chair of the Truro Diocesan Board of Finance; Nana Francois, CEO of Opportunity International UK, Samuel Williams, Private Sector Partnerships Lead for Christian Aid; David Marett, Finance Director of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus; and more.
FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold gave the keynote speech in which she outlined the scale of the climate challenge. 'We are at a pivotal moment. We know we have to change what we're doing – but we do have the solutions,' she said.
Daoists launch major commitment to ethical investing
In a significant commitment to ethical investing, the China Daoist Association is supporting the establishment of the first Daoist Investor Hub in Hong Kong in 2024 to advise its followers on investing according to Daoist beliefs and values.
The decision is part of a major expansion of Daoist programmes to protect nature and support sustainability. As well as providing guidance on Daoist values, the new Daoist ESG/SDG Investor Hub will develop resources and trainings on investing in line with ESG (environment, social, governance) principles and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
The Hub will be run by the newly formed World Taoist Federation, a network recently established to connect followers of Daoism/Taoism across the world and liaise with international faith and secular organisations. Advice and support will be provided by the China Daoist Association, FaithInvest and the University of Hong Kong which will also house the Hub.
The Investment Solutions team posts each week on topics related to faith-consistent investing. The posts are a valuable source of comment, insights and research relevant to faith-based asset owners. To see them, click HERE.
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