Has your Catholic diocese, religious order, or lay organization divested from fossil fuels yet?
Laudato Si’ Movement, together with the World Council of Churches, Green Anglicans, and GreenFaith, is inviting faith institutions worldwide to take part in a global divestment announcement on 18 November 2025, during COP30 in Brazil.
Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies: A Moral Imperative
Over 1,660 institutions managing more than $40 trillion in assets have already committed to divestment. Faith institutions have been leaders in this global movement, representing over a third of all divesting institutions.
Divestment is a moral imperative. Fossil fuel companies contribute to climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and human rights violations. By divesting, faith institutions remove the social licence that allows these companies to pursue harmful projects.
Around the world, church leaders and civil society groups have raised the alarm about the devastating impacts of fossil fuel projects — from fossil gas projects threatening livelihoods in the Verde Island Passage, one of the most marine biodiverse regions on Earth, to the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) endangering indigenous rights, biodiversity, and water sources in Uganda and Tanzania.
Fossil Fuel Companies Are Increasing Production Despite Climate Pledges
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that no new fossil fuel development is compatible with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. Yet major oil and gas companies — including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies — continue to increase production and abandon climate pledges.
The Paris Maligned III report (Carbon Tracker, May 2025) found that no major oil and gas producer is truly Paris-aligned. In fact, European companies like BP, Eni, Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies have rolled back their climate commitments in the past year.
Last month, in a significant win against greenwashing, a Paris court found that TotalEnergies’ advertising was illegal, as it ruled that the company had misled consumers by presenting itself as a “major player in the energy transition”.
Stand in Solidarity with Bishops from the Global South
In July 2025, Catholic bishops in Latin America, Africa, and Asia issued a joint appeal for COP30, calling for the end of fossil fuels. They urged transformative action rooted in human dignity, solidarity, and social justice:
“Abandoning fossil fuels is not only necessary to reduce emissions, but also to repair an ecological and moral debt to the Global South and communities affected by pollution, extraction, and climate change.”
The global divestment announcement is your opportunity to stand in solidarity with these bishops and communities, increasing your impact through collective action.
Raise Your Prophetic Voice
Fossil fuel divestment is a powerful act of faith. More than 370 Catholic institutions globally have already divested, and a growing number are reinvesting in climate solutions, including zero-carbon energy for the 685 million people without access to electricity.
Faith institutions interested in joining the announcement confirm that they:
- Have already divested from fossil fuel companies, or
- Will divest as soon as possible, and within five years at the latest, or
- Do not hold any fossil fuel investments and will not invest in fossil fuels in the future.
To participate, register your divestment commitment by Tuesday, 11 November 2025. For questions, email [email protected].
Together, we can turn faith into action and help secure a sustainable future for all.