As pilgrims and politicians head to Paris to petition the United Nations on climate change, Richard Nunn questions whether disinvestment should part of the Church’s response

After two years of planning, in November, political leaders will descend upon Paris to try to formulate a binding set of policies to address climate change. The process of orchestrating an acceptable outcome is well under way. We can expect real progress, as political reputations depend upon it. There is, however, a lingering anxiety that some participants are too concerned about economic competitiveness to worry about issues which will only have an impact after they are out of office.

Pilgrimage2Paris, supported by the Church of England, will set off on 13 November from London to walk the 200 miles to Paris. The pilgrims plan to arrive at the same time as the executive jets that are bringing in the most powerful assembly of political leaders seen for some time, and will present a petition to Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (who is speaking in London on 27 October at an event being supported by several of the United Reformed Church’s collaborative partners).

The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, bishop of Salisbury, and the Church of England’s lead bishop on the environment, said: “It is really important we join the journey, either by taking part in all or part of the pilgrimage, or by gathering people to pray within our own communities. Through our prayers and our pilgrimage we are strengthening and encouraging those taking part in the Paris talks to reach fair, accountable and firm commitments which will change the way we act and move us towards a low carbon economy.”…

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This is an extract from the November 2015 edition of Reform.

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