Archbishop Justin made bold calls regarding the issue after opening the market on Monday morning at the London Stock Exchange.
Speaking to delegates at the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) Summit, he said: "As investors, the Church is aware of its responsibility to make sure that we manage things in a manner that is aligned with Christian values, witness and mission.
"We recognise, however, that we cannot do this alone. We cannot just come in and lecture, then go away. We are one actor among many. And that is why the TPI is an example of how the Church, in partnership with others, can play a leading role."
Also at the Summit, the Church of England Pensions Board invited participants to work with them in the development of a new low carbon index that would build on the data and analysis produced by the TPI.
I don't usually start the week by opening the London Stock Exchange, but it was great to talk about the leading role the @churchofengland is playing in the @tp_initiative to help investors tackle climate change: https://t.co/wKhxguIMNt #TPI pic.twitter.com/WGRz3v4QOO
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) July 2, 2018
Alan Fletcher, chair of the Pensions Board's Investment Committee, said: "We are committed to doing all we can and creating an index we believe will both meet our investment needs, minimise our exposure to poorly rated companies, reward those that are managing the transition and reinforce our engagement with energy intensive companies.
"I hope that those we are invested in can see that asset owners are responding to the transition and moving their capital to those that are best placed to manage this critical issue."
The latest findings by the TPI shows significant improvements in companies' carbon policies and management processes, but identifies that most are yet to adopt business strategies that align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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