The Church Commissioners for England, one of the Church of England’s two national investing bodies, has published its 2022 Stewardship Report, outlining plans to revise its responsible investment strategy. The report underscored the importance of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and social inequality, referring to them as “systemic risks” that will “likely cause significant disruption to the financial system, the economy and wider society”. The Church Commissioners has aimed to address these risks by increasing external collaboration. This has seen it take action through involvement in collective initiatives, engaging with its managers and interacting with policy makers. “We see opportunities to encourage corporate and regulatory/policy action that tackle these multiple systemic challenges and unlock significant opportunities for sustainable value creation and social development,” the report said. The Church Commissioners has appointed new policy leads for net zero, social issues, and real assets sustainability. These leads will be responsible for the production and implementation of new strategies, as well as championing the integration of sustainable practices across its diversified portfolio. Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner, said: “The challenges posed by climate change, nature loss and social inequality are complex, so it is vital that companies and investors work together to combat these risks, which are affecting our world today.”
