The Church of England has launched an ambitious initiative to help its network of schools reach net zero, as part of the first phase of its multi-million-pound Net Zero Carbon Programme.

The Church Commissioners for England has published its 2022 Stewardship Report which articulates a revised responsible investment strategy focussed on three key systemic risks: climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and social inequality.

Thousands of churches, cathedrals, schools and clergy houses in England will benefit from the first phase of grants and projects worth £30 million, as part of the Church of England’s ambitious plan to achieve net zero by 2030.

The Church Commissioners for England has published a report on its overall sustainability strategy for the real assets portfolio. 

The Church of England Pensions Board is today announcing its intention to disinvest from Shell plc and other oil and gas companies which are failing to show sufficient ambition to decarbonise in line with the aims of the Paris Agreement.

The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England’s £10.3bn endowment fund, has decided to exclude all remaining oil and gas majors from its portfolio, and will exclude all other companies primarily engaged in the exploration, production and refining of oil or gas, unless they are in genuine alignment with a 1.5°C pathway, by the end of 2023.

The Church of England Pensions Board will vote against the re-election of National Grid’s Chair, Paula Rosput Reynolds, and Chief Executive Officer, John Pettigrew, due to a failure to produce disclosure on the company’s lobbying activities on climate change.

The Church of England Pensions Board has published its 2022 stewardship report, highlighting its engagement on mining safety, executive pay, human rights, and climate change.

The Church Commissioners for England has appointed four new Trustees to its board – Remi Olu-Pitan, Kif Hancock, Dame Kate Barker, and Jenny Buck. 

The Church of England Pensions Board will support a shareholder resolution at Japanese automaker Toyota’s Annual General Meeting that calls on the company to improve disclosure of its lobbying related to climate change.