Church Investors Group

For the CIG's position on Sudan, see the document below.

CIG has engaged on various issues with the following companies in recent years. Reports on these meetings are available to members:

• BP
• British Airways
• GlaxoSmithKline
• HSBC
• Nestlé
• Rio Tinto
• Reed Elsevier
• Royal Dutch Shell
• Tesco
• Vodafone

CIG began a dialogue with British Airways over claims made by a member of staff that she was prevented from wearing a visible symbol of her Christian faith and had been suspended when she refused to remove it.

CIG, alongside other faith investors, argued that, notwithstanding BA’s uniform policy, it was potentially discriminatory to prevent the wearing of a small cross, when more visible religious symbols from other faiths are allowed.

BA listened to our concerns and amended its uniform policy in light of conversations with faith investors, resulting in a suitable compromise whereby small crosses can now be worn visibly outside of the uniform.

CIG members contacted Reed Elsevier, the educational publisher, over mounting concerns at the reputational consequences of its continuing to own a defence exhibitions business.

Although a very small part of Reed’s business interests, the portfolio of several leading international arms fairs was having a disproportionate effect on the Group’s reputation, not least from among its own publications, such as The Lancet, which mounted a vociferous campaign for the business to be sold.

CIG, alongside other responsible investors, wrote to the company questioning the rationale for owning the business given its main interests and activities are educational, medical and humanitarian.

In June 2007, the company announced it would withdraw from the defence exhibitions sector when current obligations had been completed, citing investor concerns as one of the reasons. CIG welcomed the decision.

The development of a major gas field off the shore of County Mayo in Ireland continues to be controversial with the conflict of interest between local residents and the wider national community difficult to reconcile.

CIG has been kept informed of the concerns of local residents through the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR). We have also heard the views of the operating company, Royal Dutch Shell, through an engagement process led by the CFB of the Methodist Church. Many changes to the development have already been made in response to consultations and more may still occur.

As with many issues there is no absolute right or wrong, but CIG members will continue to encourage those concerned to seek a way forward that is just and fair.

CIG members have, along with many other churches around the world, been responding to the call to develop ethical policies related to investment issues connected to the Israel/Palestine question.

Through our international connections we have been able to learn from the detailed work of a variety of US churches. The Church of England has shared its experiences as it handled the call to disinvest from Caterpillar Inc because of sales of bulldozers used by Israel in building the ‘wall of separation’ and the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure. We have gained insight from the Methodist Church’s fact finding trip to the region.

Together we are learning how to engage constructively with companies that operate in the region.