Sustainable investment has long been an important topic among the Treasurers of the JCEP Provinces. This initiative is another example of shared European action, supported through the European Network of Treasurers.

Together with church investors and development organisations from numerous countries, the Jesuits are calling on companies and financial institutions not to extract minerals from the deep seabed or finance deep-sea mining activities.

The initiative was launched by the Working Group of Church Investors (AKI) and church development organisations, bringing together institutional investors from different countries and Christian denominations. The Jesuits of the European Low Countries (ELC) region subsequently took the initiative to broaden support for the call to protect the deep seabed from intensive economic exploitation.

Broad Jesuit Support

Following the initiative of Rik Vanwijnsberghe, Executive Treasurer of the ELC region, six other Jesuit provinces quickly joined the call. Through this action, the Society of Jesus is supporting efforts to encourage companies and the financial sector to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

Companies are being called upon to publicly commit not to extract minerals from the deep seabed, actively exclude deep-sea minerals from their supply chains, and refrain from financing deep-sea mining activities.

In addition to the Jesuits in Flanders and the Netherlands, Jesuits from the Provinces of Britain, Central Europe (ECE), Europe Occidentale Francophone (EOF), Euro-Mediterranea (EUM) and Ireland have also endorsed the initiative. Together, they represent Jesuits and their staff in Albania, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The initiative also has a strong ecumenical dimension. Alongside the Catholic organisations involved, 47 Protestant member institutions of the AKI are participating, making this an international and broadly ecumenical call for action.

Deep-sea mining risks causing enormous and potentially irreversible damage to the ocean floor and marine ecosystems, while threatening the livelihoods of many coastal communities.

Through this initiative, the Jesuits and organisations across the Ignatian network seek to contribute to changing the economic rules of the game — protecting creation, safeguarding vulnerable communities and promoting a more just distribution of prosperity.