Divest your church with our step-by-step guide and interactive map
The Bright Now campaign calls on Churches across the UK to divest from fossil fuels, as a powerful, practical way to speed up the transition to a brighter, cleaner future.
We are part of Operation Noah, a Christian charity working with the Church to inspire action on climate change.
Check out our interactive map below to see which churches have already divested! You can zoom in and click on the crosses for information on how and when each church divested.
A list of UK Church divestment commitments by denomination can also be found at the bottom of this page.
Green crosses indicate divestments from all fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas); amber crosses indicate partial divestments, usually from coal and tar sands.
Want to get your church on the map?
Why not raise the issue with your congregation and join the movement for fossil free Churches:
- Speak with other members of your church about climate change and the importance of fossil fuel divestment
- Ask your church minister or treasurer if the issue can be discussed at your next church council or PCC meeting
- If your church commits to divest, let us know and communicate the decision to national/regional Church investors in your denomination
- Join the next global joint divestment announcement for faith organisations in late March 2020. Watch this space (or follow us on Twitter and Facebook) for further details!
Even if your church doesn’t currently hold any investments in fossil fuels, it can send out a strong message by pledging not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.
Making a divestment commitment does not require your church to change its bank account, though you may need to find a different investment manager if your current one doesn’t offer a fossil free fund.
Find out more
Download our step-by-step guide on how to divest your church, including examples of churches which have already done so, here:
Download our Fossil Free Churches report for more information about divestment and how the Church can respond to the climate crisis here:
Any questions?
Get in touch with James Buchanan, Bright Now Campaign Manager, on james.buchanan@operationnoah.org
Building momentum
The global divestment movement now comprises more than 1,100 institutions with more than £8 trillion of assets under management, including the World Council of Churches, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the United Reformed Church, Quakers in Britain and the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
For a full list of divestment commitments worldwide, visit this page on the Fossil Free website.
Bright Now has organised several joint divestment announcements for local churches:
- In January 2020, the Epiphany Declaration for Fossil Free Churches involved twenty churches, Synods, dioceses and religious orders – including the first two Catholic dioceses in England and Wales to divest.
- In April 2019, the Easter Declaration for Fossil Free Churches involved eight more churches and the URC Synod of Yorkshire.
- In October 2018, as part of the annual Season of Creation, three churches made decisions to divest.
- In December 2017, three churches and a URC training college made divestment commitments.
UK Church divestment to date
Church of England
- Church of England (National: coal and tar sands; divestment from oil and gas companies not aligned with Paris targets by 2023)
- All Hallows, Leeds
- St Chad’s, Sutton Coldfield
- St Hilda’s, Ashford
- St John’s, Hartley Wintney
- St John the Evangelist, St Leonards-on-Sea
- St Mary’s, Hornsey Rise
- St Peter’s Maney, Sutton Coldfield
- St Stephen’s with St Julian’s, St Albans
- St Luke’s Holloway, London
- Pudsey Parish Church, Leeds
- The churches of the Parish of Alston Moor, Cumbria – St Augustine of Canterbury, Alston; St John the Evangelist, Garrigill; St John the Evangelist, Nenthead; Holy Paraclete, Kirkhaugh; St Jude, Knaresdale; and St Mary & St Patrick, Lambley
Catholic Church
- Diocese of Middlesbrough
- Diocese of Lancaster
- Passionists in England & Wales
- Religious Sisters of Charity, English/Scottish Province
- Franciscan Sisters Minoress
- Congregation of Jesus, English Province
- Presentation Sisters, English Province
Methodist Church
- Methodist Church (National: coal and tar sands; divestment from oil and gas companies not aligned with Paris targets by 2020)
- Ivybridge Methodist Church, Devon
- Stirling Methodist Church
United Reformed Church
- United Reformed Church (National)
- United Reformed Church South Western Synod
- United Reformed Church Synod of Scotland
- United Reformed Church Synod of Yorkshire
- United Reformed Church Synod of Wales
- United Reformed Church Synod of Wessex
- Scottish United Reformed & Congregational College
- Northern College, Manchester
- Beulah URC, Cardiff
- Brighthelm URC, Brighton
- Bush Hill Park URC, Enfield
- Tavistock URC
- The Vines Church, Rochester
- Vine URC, Ilford
- Lavington URC, Bideford
- Redland Park URC, Bristol
Church of Scotland
- Church of Scotland (National: coal and tar sands)
- Selkirk Parish Church
Church in Wales
- Church in Wales (National: coal and tar sands)
Scottish Episcopal Church
- Scottish Episcopal Church (National: coal and tar sands)
- St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Quakers in Britain (Religious Society Of Friends)
- Quakers in Britain (National)
- Bristol Quaker Area Meeting
- Chilterns Quaker Area Meeting
- Ipswich and Diss Quaker Area Meeting
- Kendal and Sedbergh Quaker Area Meeting
- Lancashire Central and North Quaker Area Meeting
- Leeds Quaker Area Meeting
- Leicester Quaker Area Meeting
- Mid Somerset Quaker Area Meeting
- Mid Thames Quaker Area Meeting
- Norfolk and Waveney Quaker Area Meeting
Baptist Union
- High Street Baptist Church, Tring
- Devonport Baptist Church, Plymouth
Congregational Church
- Wimbledon Congregational Church
