FossilFreeUMC

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General Conference Update to Fossil Free UMC’s Petition, May 1, 2024

This update is now obsolete. To see the final result of what happened with Fossil Free UMC’s petition at General Conference, see our final press release or A Report on What Happened with Fossil Fuel Divestment at General Conference and What You Can Do Now.

While General Conference has made numerous positive decisions that signal “a new day” in the United Methodist Church, divestment from fossil fuels is still very much up in the air. Here is an update on where we are with Fossil Free UMC’s petition to add “fossil fuels” to the UM investment screens in paragraph 717 of the Book of Discipline as of today, May 1. Please share with delegates so they will be prepared for the upcoming vote, which will come to the floor of General Conference tomorrow or at any time.

1. In the General Administration Committee, our FFUMC petition was jettisoned in favor of Wespath’s petition to amend paragraph 717 as follows (the underlined sections are Wespath’s amendments):

Petition Number: 20982-GA-¶717; Hendren, Andrew – Glenview, IL, USA for General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.  Amend ¶717 as follows: ¶ 717. Sustainable and Socially Responsible Investments—

In the investment of money, it shall be the policy of The United Methodist Church that all general boards and agencies, including the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, and all administrative agencies and institutions, including hospitals, homes, educational institutions, annual conferences, foundations, and local churches, make a conscious effort to invest in the securities of institutions, companies, corporations, or in funds with policies and practices that are socially responsible, consistent with the goals outlined in the Social Principles. All United Methodist institutions shall endeavor to seek investments in the securities of institutions, companies, corporations, or in funds that promote racial and gender justice, protect human rights, prevent the use of sweatshop or forced labor, avoid human suffering, and preserve the natural world, including mitigating the effects of climate change. In addition, United Methodist institutions shall endeavor to avoid investments in companies engaged in core business activities that are not aligned with the Social Principles through their direct or indirect involvement with the production of anti-personnel weapons and armaments (both nuclear and conventional weapons), alcoholic beverages or tobacco; or that are involved in privately operated correctional facilities, gambling, pornography or other forms of exploitative adult entertainment. The boards and agencies are to give careful consideration to environmental, social, and governance factors when making investment decisions and actively exercise their responsibility as owners of the companies and sovereign securities in which they invest. This includes engaging with companies, governments (to the extent reasonable, safe, and permitted by law), intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and other policymakers, to create positive change, including advocating through active stewardship that companies (particularly the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters) support and align with a just and equitable transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and holding companies and governments [delete “them”] accountable for their actions, while also considering exclusion if companies and governments fail to act responsibly.

2. In the General Admin Committee, Wespath’s petition was amended to add the following words at the end:“The net-zero transition should include ambitious short and medium term targets that are reflective of the urgent need to address climate change.” 

3. In the General Admin Committee, delegates sympathetic to FFUMC’s position tried to amend the petition to list “fossil fuels” as in our original petition.  It failed by only two votes.

4. Delegates who supported this new amendment called for a “minority report” to be presented along with Wespath’s amended petition.  That succeeded and that is what will happen.  The minority report (to add “fossil fuels”) will be presented first. If General Conference votes to add those words to Wespath’s petition, that will become the main motion and will be voted on by the whole body.

Other Updates:

FFUMC Press Releases and Updates:

FFUMC Reports from Other News Sources:

News and Updates from Coalition members:

Creation Justice Reports from Other News Sources:

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4 responses to “General Conference Update to Fossil Free UMC’s Petition, May 1, 2024”

  2. How about an amendment to the Wespath petition to begin a gradual divestment of 10% per year from fossil fuels starting in 2025?

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