FaithInvest will be at COP26, mobilising faith-based investments,
assets and influence to drive real action on the climate

COP26 begins next week – and will be crucial to global efforts to combat climate change, according to the world's scientists. FaithInvest will be there, discussing how faith-based finance can help advance a transition to Net Zero, and how faiths can use their other assets – buildings, land, purchasing power and influence – to drive real action on climate change, environmental destruction and biodiversity.

We'd be delighted if you would join us – in person, where possible, or online. 

And do read our article on why finance will be at the heart of COP26 as well as the opinion piece by FaithInvest Director of Membership Nana Francois on why FaithInvest will be there with high hopes for progress and a willingness to listen, learn, collaborate and contribute.

FaithInvest and Climate Investment Funds Round Table

WHEN: Wednesday November 3

TIME: 8.30-10am GMT

WHERE: Loch Lomond

TYPE: Invitation only

We'll be looking at strategies and innovations for mobilising faith-based institutional capital for the Just Transition. This is an invitation-only event organised in partnership with the World Bank's Climate Investment Funds (CIF), an $8.5 billion fund to accelerate climate action in developing and middle-income countries, and Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI). The round table will be led by CIF CEO Mafalda Duarte and FaithInvest Director of Membership Nana Francois.

COP26: Faith Plans for People and Planet

WHEN: Sunday November 7

TIME:  6.00-9.30pm GMT

WHERE: Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre, 65 Albert Road, Govanhill, Glasgow, G42 8DP

TYPE: In person (subject to availability) 

Transformational changes need to happen within our faith groups to reduce the impacts of climate change. Panel discussion followed by breakout sessions. Includes a light buffet supper. Organised in partnership with the Focolare Movement and Ahl al-Bait, learn about faith initiatives to tackle climate change across the world and strategise about climate action beyond COP26, in particular our Faith Plans for People and Planet programme – long-term commitments by faith groups to use their assets, investments and influence to drive practical action on the environment.

Speakers include:

• Keynote speech by Martin Palmer, CEO, FaithInvest
• Lorna Gold, Director of Movement Building, FaithInvest
• Imam Sayed Mahdi Shamaei, Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre
• Ketong Zhang, China Biodiversity and Green Development Foundation (in person)
• Gauranga Das, Director, Govardhan Ecovillage, India (video)
• Nigel Savage, Hazon/Pearlstone (in person)
• James Buchanan, Bright Now Campaign Manager, Operation Noah
• and more

Faith in the SDGs mini-summit

WHEN: Tuesday November 9

TIME: 10.00-11.30am GMT

WHERE: University of Glasgow's Adam Smith Business School, Kelvin Gallery, G12 8QQ

TYPE: In person (subject to availability) and online

Building on the historical role that faith groups have played in ethical finance, this summit brings together representatives from different faith traditions to explore the religious response to climate change. It will showcase initiatives that are successfully translating faith values into financial practice and asking what more can be done by faith groups to successfully finance a transition to Net Zero. Delivered in partnership with the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC).

Speakers include:

• Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
• Lord Alderdice, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford
• Martin Palmer, Founding President & CEO, FaithInvest
• Lorna Gold, Director of Movement Building, FaithInvest
• Umer Suleman, General Manager, Wahed UK
• Geraldine Burnett, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Gatehouse Bank
• Graham Burnside, Advisory Board Member, UKIFC
• Azman Mokhtar, Chair, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance

Laudato Si' – Faithful Action 

WHEN: Tuesday November 9

TIME: 7.30-10.20pm GMT

WHERE: New York Times Climate Hub, ​SWG3, 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow G3 8QG

TYPE: In person, ticketed event: £4.99

How are religious leaders mobilising people of faith and their networks to care and act on behalf of the planet, and what more can be done? This New York Times debate also includes a green carpet premiere of excerpts from the highly anticipated Laudato Si' documentary (which features Martin Palmer and Lorna Gold) about the Pope's ground-breaking 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', from the BAFTA and Oscar-winning production company Off The Fence, (My Octopus Teacher), due to be released in early 2022.

Speakers include:

• Martin Palmer, Founding President & CEO, FaithInvest
• Lorna Gold, Director of Movement Building, FaithInvest
• Ridhima Pandey, Climate Activist
• Nicholas Brown, Director, Laudato Si' documentary, Off The Fence

'Given the size of their assets and influence, faiths alone, through their actions, could make the crucial difference to the world's efforts to halt irreversible climate change and reverse environmental destruction'

– FaithInvest CEO Martin Palmer 

If you are planning to be at the COP, please let us know – we would love to catch up with you. And follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep in touch with what we're doing at COP26.

About FaithInvest

FaithInvest empowers faiths to invest in line with their values. Join us and help to accelerate the growing movement of faith-aligned, values-based investing – for the benefit of people and planet. We invite all faith-based and faith-aligned organisations, including religious groups, endowments, foundations, networks and development agencies, to become members of FaithInvest. 

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