Resource
A guide to divesting from fossil fuels
This step-by-step guide provides up-to-date advice for meetings in divesting from fossil fuels.
Divestment means getting rid of investments in the fossil fuel industry. Quakers in Britain were the first church in Britain to divest our centrally held money from fossil fuels.
Local and area meetings are now doing the same. Quaker Peace & Social Witness supports meetings to divest.
"Investing in companies who are engaged in fossil fuel extraction is incompatible with Quakers' commitment to become a low-carbon community."
Meeting for Sufferings, 2013
"Scientists are telling us that eighty per cent of known fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground to prevent catastrophic temperature rises. The business plan of the fossil fuel industry is clearly incompatible with a liveable planet."
Chayley Collis, Huddersfield Quakers
In 2011, Quakers in Britain committed to becoming a low-carbon, sustainable community. Our commitment to sustainability and climate justice means we can't continue to invest in and profit from fossil fuels. Read more about Britain Yearly Meeting's decision to divest in this briefing: Divestment from fossil fuels (PDF).
"May we look upon our treasure, the furniture of our houses, and our garments, and try to discover whether the seeds of war have nourishment in these our possessions."
John Woolman
The act of divestment fits into a long history of Quakers concern about the ethical use of money.
Public divestment is a symbolic act. It helps to question the morality of the fossil fuel industry, and challenge its power. Each act of divestment bolsters the wider Fossil Free movement which is gaining momentum across many countries.
“We wish to congratulate the Quakers on taking leadership on this vital issue."
Operation Noah
Divestment also enables ethical re-investment. We can invest our money in the parts of the economy that we want to nurture. We can support renewable energy or sustainable housing. By reinvesting money into green, just alternatives we help to build the 'new economy' that Quakers also advocate for.
Area meetings in Britain collectively manage millions of pounds of investments, and almost half of them now have zero investment in fossil fuels. Among them are Bristol, Kendal and Sedbergh, Ipswich and Diss, and York.
Area meeting Treasurers have led the way to divestment by making the practical arrangements. Read what three of them have to say about the journey over on the blog.
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Chris Walker, Sustainability and Peace Programme Manager
020 7663 1047
chrisw@quaker.org.uk
@EarthEconQuaker