PEC supports Divestment Overture #006

PEC Supports
 FossilFree PCUSA Overture

by Katie Preston

WHOOHOO!! We are on our way to General Assembly 2018, and we have a strong overture that Fossil Free PCUSA (FFPCUSA) will be supporting this year. The Hudson River Overture (OVT-006) was passed on July 25 and since then four additional presbyteries have concurred. Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) and FFPCUSA are in agreement in supporting this overture, and encourage you to bring it to your presbyteries as well. 


The Hudson River Overture relies on the previous work of FFPCUSA to bring a divestment overture to the General Assembly (GA). It takes into account the recommendations of the committees at the past two GAs, but continues to press for the immediate divestment of those companies on the Carbon Underground 200 list and for the Board of Pensions (BOP) and the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation to support the investment in renewables and energy efficiency.
 


The Overture recognizes the steps we as a denomination have already taken to be socially responsible in our investment strategy, and the specific options now available to the BOP and Foundation investors along these guidelines. But it also outlines that it is not enough in the face of increasing threats due to climate change. Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria devastated communities and reminded us once again that we are falling short on the immediate need to take action to reduce our carbon footprint in the world. As inhabitants of the USA, one of the world’s largest emitters, it is our moral obligation as people of faith to support divestment and the need for a clean energy strategy for the future. Our past decisions on how our denomination uses its funds demonstrates our responsibility to be better stewards of not only our financial resources, but our natural resources as well. By supporting a divestment overture, PEC and FFPCUSA call on the denomination to use our moral authority to end our dependence on fossil fuels and move us into a more sustainable future.
 
 

Katie Preston is an M.Div from Columbia Theological Seminary, currently flying the friendly skies with Delta Air Lines. She is a member of the board of Fossil Free PCUSA.