Five things you need to know about the Categorical Divestment Overture at General Assembly

1. The science is clear. Climate change is happening faster than originally scientists predicted, with consequences which are increasingly catastrophic for our planet and all people..
 
2. The need to act is urgent to keep global warming under 2 degrees centigrade. The longer we wait the harder it will be to roll back emissions..
 
3. As a first stepThe PCUSA is leader in climate change education, denominational policies and worship resources. As a next step, the  PCUSA should take the moral and prophetic step to Divest Now.
 
4. We are blessed that commissioners at GA will consider various responses to climate change.  Multiple overtures advocate for other climate change actions. Together they are a powerful response. We support all of these recommendations: 

• A carbon fee and dividend;
• Cutting carbon emissions by living carbon neutral lives, as past GA’s have recommended;
• AND CATEGORICAL DIVESTMENT - The PC(USA) has already categorically divested from the weapons, tobacco, gambling, and alcohol industries.

 
The act of the church divesting is critical to living out our faith, because all the good actions and writings of our denomination to respond to climate change are for naught if we continue to fund the industry that is harming God’s creation.