In 2016 the Church Commissioners established an engagement team in conjunction with the Church of England Pensions Board, reflecting the importance of engagement in the application of our ethical investment policies.
The engagement team has responsibility for:
- voting our shareholdings in publicly listed companies
- preparing ethical exclusion lists
- engaging companies in which we are shareholders on issues related to our ethical policies.
Transition Pathway Initiative
The Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) is an asset owner-led initiative, supported by asset managers and owners with over £4trn of assets under management. It assesses how companies are preparing for the transition to a low-carbon economy through a public and transparent online tool.
The Church of England's National Investing Bodies ('NIBs') have led the initiative in partnership with the Environment Agency Pensions Fund, with data and analysis provided by the London School of Economics and FTSE Russell. It was launched at the London Stock Exchange in January 2017.
The initiative came about as a result of the NIBs' climate change policy, which committed us to engage more intensively with companies on climate change and assess whether they are taking seriously their responsibilities to assist with the transition to a low-carbon economy. Assessments from the TPI produced by the London School of Economics are used to support our engagement with companies, assess our exposure to transition risk and inform our decision-making.
Find out more at transitionpathwayinitiative.org