A bold new initiative will be unveiled at a high-profile event in London by FaithInvest, a global non-for-profit network for religious investors and faith-based institutional investors.
The title of the initiative – 'Bold Plans and Faith-Consistent Investing' – is drawn from the Multi-Faith Statement issued by over 40 faith representatives from many different religions, led by Pope Francis and issued at the Vatican on 4 October 2021 in response to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
'Our target is to hold a summit in 2023 ... at which we will be able to announce and showcase major new developments in faith-based action.' - Martin Palmer
FaithInvest and its partners are launching this new initiative at a high-level meeting of leaders from faith and secular groups committed to action for people and planet this October.
‘Our target is to hold a summit in 2023 – halfway through the 15-year Sustainable Development Goals process – at which we will be able to announce and showcase major new developments in faith-based action. This will include what has developed out of the Multi-faith Statement signed in October 2021. The summit will bring together faith-based asset owners, values-driven investment organisations, philanthropies, and NGOs,’ said FaithInvest CEO Martin Palmer.
New partnerships and opportunities
The London event, occurring one year after the Multi-faith Statement and five years after the publication of the Zug Guidelines to Faith-Consistent Investing, will bring together leaders of key faith and secular groups already playing a leading role in action for people and planet. The purpose of the event is to:
celebrate the many advances that have been achieved to date
acknowledge the structural barriers that remain
make significant announcements on major faith-based asset initiatives
contribute to the faith action plans for the next climate conference, COP27
The launch event will also announce new partnerships, investment opportunities and engagements, and enable groups to bring forward their own next range of plans and commitments, and will include participation by several groups and organisations including:
British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
The Prince of Wales's Accounting for Sustainability initiative, 'A4S'
World Bank's Climate Investment Fund.
The findings will be taken forward by the British Foreign Office when it hands over its presidency of the climate negotiations process to Egypt at COP27 in November.
The Bold Plans summit: beyond 2023
In collaboration with the many groups coming together in October, FaithInvest will co-host a major summit in June 2023 to bring new resources, energy and insights into the second half of the SDG’s 15-year timetable. By bringing together the ecosystem of faith leaders, faith finance professionals and the broad financial world, it is intended to catalyse the ecosystem of faith-consistent investing for people and planet.
The summit will bring new resources, energy and insights into the second half of the SDG’s 15-year timetable.
Concludes Palmer, ‘Between now and June of 2023, FaithInvest is committed to a programme of convening and enabling. We will engage in a series of focused events – forums; roundtables; events; key moments – to assist the development of the key elements needed by the eco-system of faith and investment to support the environmental and sustainability movement.'
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Further information about series of events and the summit will be released closer to the time.
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