Events

Positive Impact Investment: Too Good to Be True? ECCR open debate 2010

Forthcoming, November 2010, London 

BP's Gulf of Mexico oil disaster has highlighted the risks and costs of current models of business and investment. Meanwhile urgent action to address climate change and poverty is acutely underfunded.

Can positive impact investment help meet the social and environmental challenges that humanity faces while still generating sound financial returns? Are innovative approaches to capital allocation the shape of investment to come or more likely to remain a niche sector?

ECCR's 2010 open debate will explore these questions with a panel chaired by Lord Harries of Pentregarth and featuring James Bevan, CCLA Investment Management; Ryan Brightwell, Co-operative Financial Services; Clare Brook, WHEB Asset Management; and Adam Ognall, UKSIF the sustainable investment and finance association.

Thursday 18 November 2010, 4.30-6.15 p.m., Methodist Church House, London. Book your place.

Debate flyer (pdf)

'Rethinking Ethical Investment in Turbulent Times': ECCR London and South East Group launch meeting

May 2010, London

A new ECCR group for London and the South East was launched at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre, London W1, with a presentation by Dr Robert Howell of the Council for Socially Responsible Investment, New Zealand, on 'Rethinking Ethical Investment in Turbulent Times'. For information about the group  please contact Helen Boothroyd (tel. 075 0393 1172).

Banking on Justice: churches investing for a fairer future

March 2010, Edinburgh

Held at St George's West Church, Edinburgh on 18 March 2010 in partnership with ECCR corporate member the Church of Scotland. Chair: Rev. Ian Galloway, Convener, Church and Society Council, Church of Scotland. Speakers: Ryan Brightwell, Co-operative Financial Services; Alex Connor, Triodos Bank; Kathy Galloway, Christian Aid Scotland; Doug Gay, co-author Justice and Markets; Jamie Hartzell, Ethical Property Company; Miles Litvinoff, ECCR; Victoria Woodbridge, EIRIS.

Conference report (pdf)

Conference programme (pdf)

News release (pdf) 

The Future of Banking: Ethical & Sustainable? ECCR open debate 2009

November 2009, London

Held at Friends House, London, ECCR's 2009 open debate explored the ethics and sustainability of banks and banking. Chair: Lord Harries of Pentregarth, former Bishop of Oxford. Speakers: Chris Hewett, Green Alliance; Edward Mason, Ethical Investment Advisory Group of the Church of England; Kevin Smith, Platform and BankTrack; James Vaccaro, Triodos Bank.

­Debate report (pdf) 

Launch of ECCR's report on Vulnerable Migrant Workers

May 2009, London

Rathbone Greenbank Investments hosted the launch of ECCR’s research report, Vulnerable Migrant Workers: The Responsibility of Business - an overview and comparative analysis of food production, manufacture and retail companies, in London. Chaired by Mark Mansley of Rathbone Greenbank, the panel speakers were Antonia Bance of Oxfam GB, Sunniva Taylor of ECCR and Paul Whitehouse of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. ECCR's report focuses on migrant workers in the domestic economies of Britain and Ireland.

Read more 

Redeeming the Market?

­­May 2009, Birmingham

­ECCR West Midlands held this public event introduced by Rev. John Johansen-Berg, with Fr Patrick Gerard, author of Performance & Reward, speaking on the bonus culture, its impact on companies, relationship and behaviour, and Prof. Chris Mallin, Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance Research at the University of Birmingham Business School, speaking on ownership, control and the evolving role of shareholders. For information about ECCR West Midlands Group, please contact Barbara Hayes: cigb@birmingham.anglican.org.

­Meeting report (pdf) 

Companies, Communities and Religious Investors - a conference on socially responsible investment

5 March 2009, Dublin, Ireland

Multinational companies increasingly affect the lives of all of us. How can religious communities and people of faith use their role as investors to promote corporate responsibility and improve companies' impacts on sustainability and justice? ECCR and a coalition of churches and faith groups held a well-attended ecumenical and interfaith one-day conference on 5 March 2009 at All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland.

­Conference report and presentations­ 

Philippines: Mining or Food? report launch

February 2009, London

The Working Group on Mining in the Philippines launched its new report Philippines: Mining or Food? at the Houses of Parliament on Monday 9 February. The 300-page report highlights how mining threatens food security in the Philippines and echoes the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines in calling for a moratorium on new mining. Working Group Chair Clare Short MP drew attention at the launch to the substantial role of the City of London in financing mining around the world, including the Philippines, and the involvement of UK-based companies in the Philippines mining sector. Companies whose plans the report challenges include BHP Billiton, Intex, Philex Gold, TVI and Xstrata.

Read more 

ECCR open debate: 'Migrant workers in the economy: rights and responsibilities'

November 2008­­

Held at Friends House, London. Chair: Lord Harries of Pentregarth, former Bishop of Oxford. Speakers: Eamon O'Hearn Large, GMB trade union; Barbara Storey, SOS Polonia migrant workers project; Rev. David de Verny, former Ecumenical Chaplain with New Arrival Communities in SE Lincolnshire; Paul Whitehouse, Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

­Read the debate report (PDF)

Faith, Values & Business: how faith communities and values-based investors can promote corporate responsibility

­October, Manchester

This ECCR public meeting aimed to help people of faith consider how they and their churches can encourage businesses to operate according to ethical values and to ensure that their investments do not fund negative impacts on vulnerable communities and the environment. The meeting heard from a range of excellent speakers, including Fiona Gooch of Traidcraft, Patrick Hynes of Oikocredit, and Brigid Benson of the GÆ­IA Partnership. Presentations alternated with varied and penetrating questions and lively discussion.

 ­Read more (pdf)

New ECCR South West Group launch meeting, Bristol

February 2008

ECCR members and potential members from South West England gathered at the Woodlands Christian Centre, Bristol, on Saturday 9 February 2008 to launch a new ECCR local group in the South West region. Corporate ECCR members represented included the Churches' Council for Industry and Social Responsibility, Ethical Investors UK, Oikocredit UK and Rathbone Greenbank Investments.

ECCR's South West Group will initially concentrate on encouraging large companies in the South West to increase their responsible management of supply chains, with particular regard to mainstreaming Fair Trade, focusing first on supermarket own-brand products and on Cadbury Schweppes, which has a key regional presence, and highlighting bottom-line reputational and market share issues.

ECCR members and others in the South West who would be interested in being involved are invited to contact Matt Crossman (chair), Matt.Crossman@rathbones.com, or Jonathan Seagrave (secretary), jon_seagrave@yahoo.co.uk.

Read more (pdf)

More about ECCR local groups

ECCR open debate: 'Water sustainability: the challenge to business'

September 2007

Held at Methodist Church House, London. Chair: Claire Foster (National Policy Adviser, Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England). Speakers: Dr Tom Le Quesne (WWF-UK), Jacob Tompkins (Waterwise), David Gardner (The Co-operative Farms), Nicole Lander (Dairy Crest).

Read more (pdf)­

ECCR workshop on multinationals and corporate responsibility

­March 2007­

Held at the Methodist Central Mission, Birmingham, focusing on how individuals, faith organisations and local groups can research and monitor the behaviour of multinational companies and engage them in dialogue with them, including the use of shareholder rights to influence their policy and practice. Speakers included David Darlaston (Business in the Community), Barbara Hayes (ECCR) and Suzanne Ismail (ECCR).­

Workshop on Churches, Civil Society, Multinational Companies and Corporate Responsibility in Central and Eastern Europe

October 2006

Co-organised by ECCR with support from the European Commission, and held over three days in Prague, Czech Republic. Speakers and session chairs (in programme order): Pavel Franc (Environmental Law Service, CZ), Klára Schirová (CEE Bankwatch, CZ), Bettina Musiolek (Evangelical Academy Meissen, DE), Ji_í Siln_ (Ecumenical Academy Prague, CZ), Fiona Gooch (Traidcraft Exchange), Pierre Habbard (Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD), Barbara Hayes (ECCR), Matthew Ross (Conference of European Churches), John Cunningham (Church Investors Group), Bill Seddon (Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church), Stephen Hine (EIRIS), Birgit Weinbrenner (Oikocredit, NL), Joost Douma (3iG / International Interfaith Investment Group), Suzanne Ismail (ECCR), John Wilson (Christian Brothers Investment Service / ICCR, USA), Miles Litvinoff (ECCR).

Read more (pdf) 

ECCR open debate: 'Flying in the face of climate change?'

September 2006

Held at Methodist Church House, London. Chair: Barbara Hayes (ECCR). Speakers: Martyn Graham (Society of British Aerospace Companies), Chris Goater (Airport Operators Association), Peter Lockley (Aviation Environment Federation), Jason Torrance (Transport 2000).

Read more (pdf)