FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold issues a passionate call for a radical reassessment of the values underpinning all our economic decisions
Our work with the Church of Scotland to support the establishment of an ethical investment committee
Daoist Investor Hub to be launched
Pope Francis to publish a 2nd Laudato Si'
Sign up to our webinar, 'Embracing the Heart of Laudato Si', on 20 September
Don't miss our next Quarterly Forum on 7 December
'No money on a dead planet'
In her first days as FaithInvest's new CEO, Dr Lorna Gold has issued an urgent call for a radical reassessment of the values underpinning our economic decisions, saying we need an economy 'more attuned to the planet and human well-being – one that will unleash the power of faith as a dynamic force for good'.
In a deeply felt and passionately argued article, Dr Gold, who assumed leadership of FaithInvest this month, said we have plenty of knowledge about the extent of the ecological and climate crises, and about the changes we need to make, 'yet we are still facing an uphill battle in uniting behind a new vision of the economy that can shift us towards a more sustainable future'.
She added: 'We need to join a few more dots... If we agree that our economic choices are driving us systematically towards destruction, then surely we need to examine the foundation on which key choices are made?'
Caring about the future of the planet and all its inhabitants is not simply a matter of personal taste, she said: 'It is about shared responsibility and the common good. It is about human decency... It is about the ancient and enduring truth that money, no matter how alluring, cannot be eaten. There is no money on a dead planet.'
Church of Scotland sets up ethical investment committee, collaborates with FaithInvest
FaithInvest has been working with the Church of Scotland to support the establishment of an ethical investment committee between the Church and The Church of Scotland Investors Trust (COSIT). The committee will be made up of members of COSIT and the Church of Scotland and act as advisory body to COSIT.
Most of the Church of Scotland's investments are looked after by COSIT, which was set up by an Act of Parliament and is therefore not bound by the Church of Scotland's highest decision-making body, the General Assembly. Instead, COSIT is bound by Trust law which means it is responsible for the Trust's assets.
'Normally that means an investment is there to provide good financial returns but can do so in keeping with the Trust's aims and values,' explained Valerie Brown, head of Christian Aid Scotland and chair of the Special Committee set up to work on this project.
FaithInvest Founding President (and until very recently CEO) Martin Palmer is heading off to China later this month for the 5th International Daoism Forum at Maoshan, one of Daoism's most mountains.
Among other discussions, this major gathering of Daoist leaders will announce the launch of an investor hub that will offer guidance to business people, entrepreneurs and anyone wishing to invest according to Daoist values.
The Hub will be managed by the China Daoist Association, with FaithInvest acting as an advisor. It's one of several faith-specific investor hubs that we have been discussing with other groups as the need to support faith communities who want to embrace faith-consistent investing grows. Watch this space!
Pope Francis to publish a 2nd Laudato Si'
We are looking forward with excitement for the publication of the second part of Pope Francis' Laudato Si' encyclical on October 4, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of the environment.
When Pope Francis wrote his 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si'(On care for our common home), addressed to 'every person living on this planet', his plea for us to hear 'the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor' brought home the environmental and climate crises in a way that countless data-driven studies had not.
Secular environmental groups recognised the moral force of the Pope's call for change, and people from all faith traditions (not just Catholic) and none, responded by taking action to tackle the environmental and climate crises, both within their own lives and in their communities.
There is still time to sign up to this webinar, organised by the Dominican Sisters and facilitated by FaithInvest. Held across two sessions, it will discuss how to respond to the ecological crisis, including how finances and investments can be used as a force for good. Tickets cost US$20 for the morning session only or US$35 for the morning and afternoon session.
FaithInvest's quarterly FCI gathering: Thursday 7 December
10.00 EST, 15.00 BST, 16.00 CET, 17.00 EAT
At our December FCI Interest Group Forum we'll 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​.
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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