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Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church

Ethics

Balancing
opportunity with integrity

The CFB is committed to seeking both superior returns and improving ethical standards.

Positive approach

We seek to improve the ethical profile of our portfolios by avoiding investments in particular businesses and encouraging better practices in others.

Company engagement

We view our investments as long term partnerships with company managements. We engage in constructive dialogue and practise active voting to challenge social, environmental and ethical considerations.

Integrated process

Ethical research integrated with financial analysis is key to our investment process. Fund managers are responsible for both financial and ethical analysis.

Clear policy

Comprehensive policy statements and position papers offer a reference for clients and a clear focus for fund managers.

Theological grounding

The Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment provides a unique and robust mechanism for testing ethical investment decisions against theological principles.

Quarterly review
December 2019

Climate change – evaluation of companies

We are nearing the completion of our project to assess the extent to which fossil fuel companies are aligned with the Paris Agreement. The baseline assessment of our portfolio holdings has been completed. We are now engaging with companies and conducting further research. We intend to meet with the largest oil and gas holdings well ahead of Methodist Conference later this year. So far we have had fruitful engagements. We are also encouraged by news that more fossil fuel companies are setting zero emissions targets and moving to publish estimates of Scope 3 emissions. A report will be sent to the Conference outlining the conclusions of the work, which are likely to include recommendations to exclude more oil and gas companies.

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Climate change – company engagements

Meanwhile, our engagement work on climate change continues to be extensive. We have co-filed a shareholder resolution at Barclays. This resolution is the first at a UK bank regarding climate change and calls for Barclays to set and disclose targets to phase out financial services to those parts of the energy sector which are not aligned with the Paris climate goals. This includes lending to specific fossil fuel projects, as well as to companies themselves. This resolution was organised by ShareAction, and will be voted on at the Barclays AGM in May 2020.

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Climate change – policy engagements

We were signatories to a letter sent to all EU heads of state and governments on the 2050 net-zero emissions target, noting our support for a net-zero emissions target for the EU and the alignment of all relevant EU legislations to the temperature reduction goals set out in the Paris Agreement. This was coordinated by IIGCC and noted the urgent "need to act" in the face of the climate emergency and how "the costs of inaction will be catastrophic".

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More quarterly reviews

Voting

Reports

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December
2019
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September
2019
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June
2019
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March
2019

Policy

Voting policy →

Serving
the Methodist Church

The Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment (JACEI) provides CFB with advice on ethical issues and reports to the Methodist Conference on CFB compliance with the aims and objectives of the Church.

JACEI Report

The JACEI Report is produced for the Methodist Conference outlining its activities each year. An abbreviated version is also produced. Together they provide a comprehensive survey of the issues that we have addressed.

Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment Report 2019 Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment Short Report 2019 Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment Report 2018 Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment Short Report 2018

Working
in partnership

Carbon Disclosure Project Church Investors Group IIGCC, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change Access to Medicines Index Access to Nutrition Index FAIRR ECCR, The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility EITI< The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Institutional Shareholder Services Sustainalytics TRUCOST UNPRI UKSIF Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, BBFAW

Active membership of global networks and partnerships provide a powerful united voice when dealing with multinational corporations and assist us and our clients to make informed ethical investment decisions.

The Stewardship Code

The CFB supports investor engagement with companies and is a signatory to the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code

Montréal Pledge

The CFB is a signatory of the Montréal Carbon Pledge and is committed to a voluntary disclosure of the results. Read the CFB's Montréal Pledge Disclosure.

Have your say...

Our ethics are based on Methodist Church principles. We welcome feedback on an ethical issue. If you would like to discuss these please contact CFB Relationship Manager Christophe Borysiewicz on 020 7496 3630 or Chair of JACEI Stephen Wigley on 020 7467 5245.