In the week that we celebrate Earth Day, Operation Noah and FaithInvest have launched a new video series entitled: 'Financing a Liveable Future: Church Investments in Climate Solutions'.
The short films explore how faith-based investors can align their values with their investing practices to create a more sustainable future.
'Earth Day reminds us of our responsibility as stewards of creation,' said Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, Operation Noah's Chair of Trustees. 'This video series provides a practical roadmap for faith communities to put their values into action. By investing in a sustainable future, Churches send a powerful message to decision makers to do likewise.'
Operation Noah is a Christian charity that works to inspire and equip churches and individuals to care for God's creation by addressing the climate crisis. Operation Noah and FaithInvest co-hosted a conference entitled Financing a Liveable Future: Church Investments in Climate Solutions in November 2023.
FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold added: 'Faith groups are significant investors on global markets, with trillions of dollars worth of investments. Just imagine what could happen if faiths started to invest according to their values? What, then, if their congregations do the same? We could see a huge tipping point towards building a better future for us all.'
The videos provide a valuable financial context to churches' environmental action. Faith-based institutions hold significant financial resources and this series empowers them to use their investments to build a greener future, aligning with potential national policy shifts.
The series consists of five videos which were filmed at the Financing a Liveable Future conference in London in November 2023.
Inspiring Case Studies and Practical Guidance
The series features inspiring stories from faith communities around the world who are already making a positive impact through climate-conscious investing. It showcases how these investments can create local job opportunities and demonstrates a clear path for smaller churches and faith organisations to get started.
Expert Insights and Faith-Based Finance
Investment experts including Mike Sturgess, Chair of Truro's Diocesan Board of Finance, and Paul Jaffe, Head of Sustainability for the Church Commissioners for England, share their experiences and practical advice for navigating climate-aligned investments. Mathew Jensen, CFA, FaithInvest's Director of Faith-Consistent Investing, delves into FaithInvest's Good Intentions report, which looks at what faiths say about investing, and guides viewers through the process of developing faith-consistent finance.
A Call to Action: Stewardship Through Investment
In the video, Dr. Lorna Gold, CEO of FaithInvest, delivers a powerful keynote speech about the urgency of investing in solutions that address the climate crisis. The series also features Lorna Stuttaford and David Marett from the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a global religious order, who share their journey of investing for impact.
FaithInvest is an international, not-for-profit network serving religious groups and faith-based investors.
WATCH
The new video series can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@OpNoah/videos
Video One: The urgency, the responsibility and the challenges – Dr Lorna Gold's keynote address: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4zKxHuYuTs
Video Two: Why (and how) to invest in climate solutions – panel discussion with Nana Francois, the CEO of Opportunity International UK, Dr Martin Hodson, a scientist and leader of the John Ray Initiative, and Samuel Williams, Private Sector Partnership Lead at Christian Aid. Chaired by Graham Gordon, Head of Public Policy at Cafod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Em-ZGnWjY
Video Three: Church investors in climate solutions – Two church investors discuss their experience of moving their assets into climate solutions. Mike Sturgess is the Chairman of Truro Diocesan Board of Finance, and Paul Jaffe is the Head of Sustainability for the Church Commissioners for England. Chaired by Catherine Devitt, Programme Manager at FaithInvest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_kPmuTbpcs
Video Four: Good Intentions, a deep dive into FaithInvest's study of what faiths are, and are not, doing about faith-consistent investing, with FaithInvest's Mathew Jensen CFA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-BOfwR30Q0
Film Five: Good Intentions in practice – Advisor Lorna Stuttaford and David Marett, Finance Director of the European Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Catholic women's congregation, share how the SHCJ worked with FaithInvest to strengthen how they invested for impact. Chaired by Mathew Jensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW2xPAhHwXs&t=577s