The National Trust has announced it will cease any investment in fossil fuel companies within the next three years.
The charity, which manages 248,000 hectares of countryside, will introduce a series of new measures as part of a refreshed green investment strategy.
A three-year timescale has been given but it is expected the majority of divestments will be accomplished in the first 12 months.
Previously the Trust had required that no investment be made directly in companies which derived more than 10 percent of their turnover from the extraction of thermal coal or oil.
Fossil fuel investments comprise only 4 percent of its current portfolio. Overall, it has over a billion pounds invested in the stock market.
In other measures, the charity is exploring farming and land management methods that reduce flooding and help clean water supplies while at the same time offering new revenues for farm businesses.
Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust said: “Returns from our investments are vital for helping us protect and care for special places across the nation.
“They enable us to look after the natural environment and keep our membership fees affordable to the millions of people who are part of our organisation.
“The impacts of climate change pose the biggest long-term threat to the land and properties we care for and tackling this is a huge challenge for the whole nation.”
The National Trust has also announced a plan to phase out single use plastics from shops and substantially reduce use in cafes by 2022.
