Church leaders urge ethical investment in Eastern Africa

By Vatican News 

As the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) gets underway in Nairobi, participants in a Catholic gathering on ethical investment have presented the Nairobi Declaration, calling on the Church across the region to ensure that its financial decisions reflect Catholic Social Teaching, care for creation, and the common good.

The Declaration is the outcome of the Strategic Convening on Ethical Investment for Catholics, held on 17 July in Kenya’s capital city. Bringing together bishops, clergy, religious, lay experts and civil society partners of the “Laudato Si’ Movement Africa”, the meeting offered the document as a contribution to the AMECEA Plenary Assembly, whose theme this year is “AMECEA’s Synodal Journey with Young People: Building Bridges of Communion, Hope, Justice and Good Governance.”

Ethical investment as a matter of Christian witness

Participants said stewardship of Church resources is an integral part of Christian witness, affirming that “no investment made in the name of the Church is morally neutral.” They encouraged Catholic dioceses, religious congregations, schools, pension funds and other institutions to review their investment practices in light of human dignity, care for creation and the common good.

The Declaration proposes greater discernment regarding investment practices and partnerships, including measures to address corporate greenwashing and consideration, where appropriate, of fossil fuel divestment alongside reinvestment in renewable energy and initiatives that strengthen local communities.

Rooted in Laudato Si’

The document draws extensively on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, recalling that “everything is connected” and highlighting the need to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” It also refers to recent statements by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), messages prepared ahead of COP30, and the 2025 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning states’ obligations to prevent significant harm to the climate system.

Participants stressed that ecological conversion and concern for future generations are inseparable, describing care for creation as an essential dimension of the Church’s mission.

Eastern Africa and the challenge of a just transition

Reflecting on the realities facing the region, the Declaration notes that many African communities continue to experience energy poverty while also bearing the consequences of climate-related droughts, floods and displacement.

Against this background, participants called for development pathways that promote renewable energy, community resilience and dignified employment, while cautioning against approaches they describe as “false solutions” that fail to address the underlying causes of environmental degradation.

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The accompanying press communiqué explained that discussions considered how Catholic Social Teaching and the Church’s faith-consistent investment framework can guide financial decisions across Catholic institutions in Eastern Africa. Participants also reflected on the pastoral and social implications of investment choices, as well as testimony from communities affected by large-scale extractive projects in the region.

Young people at the centre

In keeping with the theme of the AMECEA Plenary Assembly, the Declaration places particular emphasis on the role of young people. It argues that responding to today’s ecological challenges requires greater participation of youth in diocesan decision-making, formation in ethical investment and environmental stewardship, and support for youth-led renewable energy initiatives.

According to the Declaration, building bridges of communion, hope, justice and good governance with younger generations also means ensuring transparency in Church governance and encouraging their active participation in the Church’s mission of integral ecology.

Appeal to the bishops

In its concluding appeal, the Declaration invites the bishops gathered for the 21st AMECEA Plenary Assembly to receive the text as a contribution to the region’s synodal journey. Participants encourage the development of regional faith-consistent investment guidelines that could be adapted by dioceses and Episcopal Conferences throughout Eastern Africa.

The document also asks the bishops to deepen participation in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and to reflect these commitments in the Assembly’s final message, reaffirming that care for our common home forms an integral part of the Church’s mission, evangelization and witness.