The United Reformed Church (URC) has joined a coalition of faith institutions to announce its divestment from fossil fuels, as the Financing the Future summit – devoted to accelerating investment in a clean economy – gets underway in Cape Town.

Fossil fuel divestment now comes from institutions with £9 trillion in assets, institutions with assets of around £40 billion just five years ago.

According to The Global Catholic Climate Movement, Operation Noah, Greenfaith, and the Green Anglicans, faith institutions constitute the greatest number of entities contributing to the global divestment movement.

The leaders of six national Churches, including the United Reformed Church, have written to The Guardian about the Defence Security Exhibition International (DSEI) arms fair which opens in London today (10 September).

The Church leaders, from the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodists, and the Quakers, believe that the UK’s involvement in the promotion of weapons of war is in complete opposition to the building of peaceful, just and ecologically sustainable societies.

The Revd Dr John Bradbury, Minister of Downing Place United Reformed Church (URC), Whittlesford, Stetchworth and Cheveley URCs in Cambridgeshire, has been nominated as the next General Secretary of the URC.

The Nominating Group, which is responsible for putting forward a name to the URC Mission Council, the church’s executive body, has undertaken a rigorous selection process.

This started after the Revd John Proctor, the current General Secretary, announced his retirement.