Sir Paul Marshall, a hedge fund manager and committed Christian, has donated £28 million to influential Church of England institutions that support climate action, raising serious questions among Christian leaders. Marshall, who co-owns GB News—a channel accused of broadcasting climate change denial—has expressed views that directly oppose the Church of England's official stance on the climate crisis.
Donations to HTB and CRT
According to an analysis of accounts filed with the Charity Commission, Marshall's Sequoia Trust gave at least £13 million to Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) church and the Church Revitalisation Trust (CRT) between 2018 and 2025. HTB is the largest church in the Church of England, with a congregation of about 4,000, and is home to the evangelical Alpha Course, which has reached 37 million people in more than 175 countries. Marshall has been a member of HTB since 1997. The CRT, run from HTB, has established over 100 evangelical churches across the UK, and Marshall serves as a director.
Climate Views in Conflict
Marshall recently stated that the UK has been infected by 'climate derangement syndrome' and that efforts to cut planet-heating emissions are 'impoverishing people.' These views, along with content broadcast on GB News, are in direct opposition to the Church of England's belief that responding to the climate crisis is essential to safeguarding God's creation. The Church has a routemap to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and has divested its endowment and pension funds from fossil fuels.
Rev Dr Darrell Hannah, chair of Operation Noah, a leading Christian climate charity, expressed concern: 'As the climate crisis intensifies, we're increasingly concerned that a fellow Christian—with more money and power than virtually any other Christian in the UK—continues to share problematic and highly influential views on the most important issue of our time. This cannot go unchallenged.' He added that Marshall's donations to faith groups raise serious questions given his outsized influence and problematic views.
GB News and Climate Denial
GB News has broadcast numerous attacks on climate science and action. A report found 953 such attacks around the 2024 general election, including descriptions of global heating as 'the climate scam' and suggestions of 'enforced veganism.' The broadcasting regulator Ofcom is investigating whether GB News breached impartiality rules regarding an interview with Donald Trump, where his claims about climate change being 'a hoax' went unchallenged.
Marshall's Response
A spokesperson for Marshall said: 'Sir Paul generally agrees with Christian and Anglican teaching on the environment and climate change. Like many people, including many Christians, he just doesn't subscribe to net zero by 2050 due to the serious negative impact on poor people, their communities and the economy. Instead, he prefers to allow human innovation to adapt to and to limit climate change. This is a perfectly reasonable position held by millions of people, including many Christians.'
However, central banks, regulators, and academic experts have found that the cost of climate action is far less than the economic damage from inaction. In March, over 120 church leaders, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, criticised Marshall's climate views and GB News's attacks on climate science, also raising concerns about fossil fuel investments held by Marshall's hedge fund.
The Church of England, HTB, and CRT did not respond to questions. The Sequoia Trust, chaired by Marshall, had a market value of £477 million as of June 2025. Its recent accounts do not name donation recipients, but £10.2 million was given to faith-based institutions. Marshall declined to comment on how much went to HTB and CRT.
