Five Anglican Church Dioceses lead the way in fossil fuel divestment

350 Aotearoa is celebrating another fossil fuel divestment announcement today, with news that the Dunedin and Taranaki/Waikato Dioceses of the Anglican Church have become the latest to pledge their commitment to remove their money from fossil fuels at their annual synod meetings this weekend. Five Anglican Church Dioceses of New Zealand have now committed to divest.

This announcement comes at an important time, following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on climate change report on Friday, calling for urgent and stringent action to reduce greenhouse gases.

The global fossil fuel divestment campaign was started by 350.org last year in the US, and has so far seen 12 religious institutions, 17 cities and 6 universities overseas making the commitment to divest from fossil fuels.

“These five Anglican Dioceses have shown their moral leadership with this clear statement that continuing to fund fossil fuels is no longer ethical.” says Ashlee Gross, 350.org National Coordinator for New Zealand. “As the international scientific community calls for immediate action, we’re heartened to see the Anglican church make this historic decision to remove their money from this sunset industry.”

350 Aotearoa, the New Zealand arm of 350.org, is currently calling on other churches, charitable trusts, universities, banks, KiwiSaver providers, and the NZ Super Fund to divest as part of their Go Fossil Free campaign.

‘The evidence is clear, and we have a moral imperative as part of the international Anglican Communion to be mindful of not only other people, but every other living thing on this planet.’ Said Dunedin Anglican Synod member Jenny Campbell.

‘If we do not act, it will be future generations left to deal with the consequences. We have a responsibility to leave them a world which is not only habitable, but in which they can fulfill their hopes and dreams.’

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