The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) is hailing another successful proxy season in which it achieved significant commitments from corporations to more closely align their practices with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) policies.
LEXINGTON, Kentucky — The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) recommended Wednesday afternoon that five energy companies be added to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Divestment/Proscription List.
The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) voted at its Oct. 11 meeting to expand the criteria for recommending companies be placed on the General Assembly’s divestment/proscription list.
The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment voted during its June meeting to update the Guideline Metrics framework it uses to evaluate companies in which church entities own stock.
The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment’s summer 2019 meeting in Detroit included a meeting with activist Emma Lockridge, who was protesting the impact a Marathon refinery had on her neighborhood.
One of the higher profile decisions set to come out of the 224th General Assembly in June was to be a vote on adding three fossil fuel companies to the General Assembly Divestment/ Proscription list.
The members of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) heard the criticism: While they were making financial decisions about companies that were having a negative impact on the communities around them, the committee members were not engaging with those impacted communities.
The siren went off at 3 a.m. Oct. 29.
“Anytime you hear the siren, that means there could be an explosion at the refinery,” said Emma Lockridge, whose home is just a few blocks away from the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Southwest Detroit.
So, she called Marathon and asked what was going on.
“Nothing,” was the reply, though she looked out of her window and saw, “red, billowing smoke.”
Lockridge decided to jump into her car and document the event on video, bursts of fire and smoke flaring onto the screen.