Resolution Number: | 2015-C045 |
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Title: | Call for Investing in Clean and Renewable Energy |
Legislative Action Taken: | Concurred as Amended |
Final Text: |
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church welcomes the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon rule for existing power plants; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention calls upon the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the Episcopal Church Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean renewable energy in a fiscally responsible manner; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention calls on the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the Episcopal Church Foundation to refrain from purchasing any new holdings of public equities and corporate bonds of fossil fuel companies; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention urges all dioceses and parishes of the Episcopal Church to engage the topic of divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in clean energy within the coming year.
Citation: | General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Salt Lake City, 2015 (New York: General Convention, 2015), pp. 879-880. |
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Legislative History
Author: | Diocese of Massachusetts |
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Originating House: | House of Bishops |
Originating Committee: | Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation |
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation presented its Report #4 on Resolution C045 (Environmentally Responsible Investing) and moved adoption with amendment.
Original Text of Resolution:
(C045)
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 78th General Convention join with Episcopalians for Fossil Fuel Divestment/Reinvestment who share a common commitment to act for a sustainable environment in calling upon the Episcopal Church Pension Fund and the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean renewable energy, and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention calls on the Episcopal Church Pension Fund and the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund to adopt a policy to refrain from this time forward from purchasing any new holdings of public equities and corporate bonds of the world’s leading 200 fossil fuel companies as identified by the Carbon Underground, and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention calls on the Episcopal Church Pension Fund and the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund to develop and implement a plan to divest within five years from direct ownership of public equities and corporate bonds of the world’s leading 200 fossil fuel companies as identified by the Carbon Underground, and be it further
Resolved, That, given the proven dangers to the environment and all life on earth fur to the burning of fossil fuels, and given fossil fuel companies’ business plans to extract and use all fossil fuel reserves in the ground, the 78th General Convention urges all dioceses of the Episcopal Church and the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes to engage the topic of divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in clean energy within the coming year.
Committee Amendment:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church welcomes the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon rule for existing power plants; and be it further
Resolved, That the 78th General Convention join with
Episcopalians for Fossil Fuel Divestment/Reinvestment who share a common
commitment to act for a sustainable environment in callingcalls
upon the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the
Episcopal Church Pension Fund, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the
Episcopal Church Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies and
reinvest in clean renewable energy in a fiscally responsible manner, and
be it further
Resolved, That this the 78th General
Convention calls on the Investment Committee of the Executive Council,
the Episcopal Church Pension Fund, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund,
and the Episcopal Church Foundation to adopt a policy
to refrain from this time forward from purchasing any
new holdings of public equities and corporate bonds of the world’s
leading 200 fossil fuel companies as identified by the Carbon
Underground, and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention calls
on the Episcopal Church Pension Fund and the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund to
develop and implement a plan to divest within five years from direct ownership
of public equities and corporate bonds of the world's leading 200 fossil fuel
companies as identified by the Carbon Underground, and be it
further
Resolved, That, given the proven dangers to the environment
and all life on earth fur to from the burning of fossil fuels, and given fossil
fuel companies' business plans to extract and use all fossil fuel reserves in
the ground, the 78th General Convention urges all dioceses and
parishes of the Episcopal Church and the Consortium of Endowed
Episcopal Parishes to engage the topic of divestment from fossil fuels
and reinvestment in clean energy within the coming year.
Bishop Robinson moved to amend the resolution.
Proposed Amendment:
Delete "Episcopal Church Pension Fund" from second and third resolves.
The question was called.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the proposed amendment.
Motion carried
Amendment adopted
Bishop Matthews moved to amend the resolution.
Proposed Amendment:
Remove any reference to specific funds and call upon "this Church".
The question was called.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the proposed amendment.
Motion defeated
Amendment defeated
The Rt. Rev. William Stokes, Bishop of New Jersey, moved to amend the resolution.
Proposed Amendment:
Change "calls" to "urges" in all resolves. In the second and third resolves change "calls upon the Investment Committee of the Executive Council, the Episcopal Church Pension Fund, the Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, and the Episcopal Church Foundation" to "calls upon all entities affiliated with the Episcopal Church".
The question was called.
Motion defeated
Amendment defeated
The question was called.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on Resolution C045.
Motion carried
Resolution adopted with amendment
(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #86)
House of Deputies
The House of Deputies Committee on Environmental Stewardship and Care of Creation presented its Report #4 on HB Message #86 on Resolution C045 (Environmentally Responsible Investing) and moved concurrence.
Deputy Schmissrauter of East Tennessee moved to amend the resolution.
Proposed Amendment:
To remove "and the Episcopal Church Foundation" from the second and third Resolve.
Deputy Garner of Alabama moved to end debate on the amendment.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
A vote was taken on the amendment.
Motion defeated
Amendment defeated
Deputy Kilp of Central Pennsylvania moved to end debate on the resolution.
Motion carried
Debate terminated
An electronic vote was taken on the resolution.
Motion carried
The House concurred
(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #304)
Resolution Concurred by Both Houses, July 2.
Abstract: | The 78th General Convention calls the Church to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean, renewable energy in a fiscally responsible manner. |
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Notes: | The Committee was discharged of resolutions C041, C042 and C049 as duplicative of 2015-A045. |