Guidance for charities who are already fossil-free

If your charity currently does not invest in fossil fuels, commit to our fossil-free investment agreement to:

• uphold current fossil-free investment status
• remain fossil-free in the future.

Once you have read through the fossil-free investment agreement, you can record your commitment by completing our form.

Please note this guide focuses on organisations with charity status. If your voluntary organisation has a different legal structure, you can still commit to our fossil-free agreement. But you may have fewer or different considerations when reaching a decision.

When making any decisions about investments, trustees need to show they:

• are acting in the best interests of their charity and that they
• have taken account of all relevant factors.

The Charity Commission sets out trustees’ investment duties in full in Charities and investment matters: a guide for trustees (CC14) – see sections 3.2 and 5 for more information.

Read our charity investment guide to learn more about the decision-making process

Charities work at the heart of our communities and can act as influencers of change.

Maximise the impact of your decision not to invest in fossil fuels by informing your donors, supporters, and the wider public.

Clearly explain why your board reached the decision and how it is in the best interest of your purpose and charity. You can do this through:

• your website
• email
• social media channels
• a newsletter
• a press release.

Use our template press release, example email copy, newsletter copy and example tweets for inspiration in our communications pack.