November Faith Plans newsletter
The headline in the November edition of the Faith Plans newsletter focused on preparations for COP28, taking place in the United Arab Emirates, and asking whether the Faith Pavilion would help to broaden the conversation.
At the faith pavilion
Religious groups were invited to play an integral role at COP28, in a dedicated Faith Pavilion at a COP, facilitated by the Muslim Council of Elders.
The Pavilion hosted a series of talks and presentations and facilitates networking and advocacy among and by faith groups. Pope Francis had intended to participate in person, but had to withdraw due to ill health. Instead, he issued a statement, drawing attention to his recent publication 'Laudate Deum', his exhortation on the need for climate action and a follow up to his 2015 environmental publication 'Laudato Si''.
Climate, faith and finance
FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold, one of the originators of the Faith Plans framework, gave the opening remarks at the Faith Pavilion on Monday December 4. She discussed faith-consistent investing; Faith Plans Key Area 1: Use of assets.
Finance was one of the themes for the entire COP that day, and not just in the Faith Pavilion. Lorna also spoke at the Brahma Kumaris press conference / panel 'Ethics at the Heart of the Energy Transition' on Tuesday 5 December, 9.30-10am local time, in the Blue Zone.
The Faith Pavilion hosted a total of 65 sessions, featuring 325 speakers from every part of the world. The dedicated Faith Pavilion website went live on 30 November 2023, the first day of the COP: https://faithatcop28.com/
Dr Lorna Gold's reflection on the outcomes of COP28 is available to read on the FaithInvest website here.
Launch of Faithful Finance training
FaithInvest, founder of the Faith Plans framework, also announced it was launching a new training programme in February 2024, on the topic of faith-consistent investing: 'Faithful Finance'. Watch this short video for more information:
There will be future cohorts of the training, and you can read all the latest news on FaithInvest's training page here.
New Daoist Investor Hub
There was also exciting news about the long-awaited Daoist Investor Hub, designed to support those who wish to invest in line with traditional Chinese beliefs and values. The Hub is being supported by the China Daoist Association and will be launched in 2024. The Association will also provide advice and support, along with FaithInvest and the University of Hong Kong where the Hub will also be housed.
Read the full newsletter
For more information about these and other stories, read the full November newsletter here.
----
How the Faith Plans framework can help you
The Faith Plans Seven Key Areas framework begins with Key Area One: Assets. This includes information and guidelines to help faith organisations to explore how to manage natural assets such as land, forests and woodland, and nature in line with their values. Find out more at https://www.faithplans.org/land-forests-and-nature
The theme of COP28 is 'Protecting global food systems'. Food production is also part of Key Area One: Assets, under Health, Hospitality and Food. Find out more at https://www.faithplans.org/assets-health-hospitality-food
If you would like more information about the Faith Plans framework or any of the Seven Key Areas, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.