What is divestment?
Divestment means taking your money out of companies that harm the planet, especially fossil fuel companies that produce oil, gas, or coal. It’s the opposite of investing: instead of supporting these companies with your investments, you remove your financial support.
Why does it matter?
Fossil fuels cause climate change, harm biodiversity, and threaten human rights. Those most vulnerable—poor communities, indigenous people, and smallholder farmers—suffer first. By divesting, faith institutions and organizations say no to climate destruction and yes to a safer, fairer future.
Examples from around the world:
- In the Philippines, fossil gas projects threaten the livelihoods of fisherfolk and farmers in the Verde Island Passage, a rich marine ecosystem.
- In East Africa, a giant oil pipeline endangers water sources, biodiversity, and indigenous communities in Uganda and Tanzania.
What’s the alternative?
Clean energy like solar and wind is growing fast. Divesting from fossil fuels and redirecting investments to these sustainable solutions creates a healthier world for everyone.
Faith in action
Faith institutions are leaders in the global divestment movement. Over 1,660 institutions, managing $40 trillion, have already committed to divestment. You can join the global announcement on 18 November 2025, during COP30 in Brazil, and be part of this moral and practical action for our common home.
“The necessary transition to clean energy and the abandonment of fossil fuels is not progressing at the speed needed.” —Laudate Deum 55
The reasons to divest are simple: learn the basics, understand why it matters, and take the first step.
Want to learn more about divestment?