More than 40 environmental charities have pledged take action to tackle racism and a lack of equality, diversity and inclusion in their sector.
The ‘route map’ for change is being backed by 42 charities including the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts.
This focuses on supporting charities to improve their culture, transparency, take action to combat racism as well as ensure their organisation is encouraging diversity.
Charities, which have signed up to implement the ‘route map’ over the next five years, also include RSPCA, National Trust and Greenpeace.
Surfers Against Sewage, Woodland Trust, Friends of the Earth and The Rivers Trust are among other charities to back to action plan.
Latest figures show that 4.8% of environmental sector professionals are Black, Asian or from ethnic minorities, compared to 12.6% of the working population.
Ensuring charities improve their monitoring of racism, help staff to report incidents and take enforcement action is included in the plan
Another focus of action is on encouraging charities to incorporate “ethnic diversity terms and definitions routinely and establishing internal responsibilities on diversity”.
Joint action across the environmental sector is another recommendation, to help small charities with less resources improve their anti-racist practices and organisation. This should include support with training, sharing research on racism and exploring ways to “bring more people of colour into leadership roles”.
Regular monitoring and benchmarking of diversity in the sector is also being called for.
Reporting is already underway through campaign group RACE Report (Racial Action for the Climate Emergency).
Earlier this year it called for green charities to replicate a project among 40 US not for profit green charities to report on staff diversity each year.
Charity campaigners Money4You are also calling for diversity reporting to be included in all registered charities’ annual returns. The regulator admitted last month that charity boards are “do not reflect the make up of the communities they serve”.
Less than 5% of environment sector employees are people of colour compared to 13% of the workforce overall.
— Wildlife and Countryside Link (@WCL_News) October 5, 2022
This must change! But it can only happen if we work together.
That’s why we’re working with 40+ charities on shared action over the next 5 yearshttps://t.co/C3T3B8PRHj pic.twitter.com/L7DTTFLwJp
“We need to be joining with people from all backgrounds in leading, championing, and accessing nature,” said RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight.
“This route map highlights uncomfortable truths but is essential in reinforcing the crucial work needed to increase ethnic diversity and meaningful inclusion across the conservation sector, especially for people of colour.
“As an organisation we are on a journey to building a truly inclusive RSPB where everyone can thrive but we still have a long way to go.
“We are taking steps to identify and break down barriers faced by marginalised communities in conservation and our involvement in this report is a welcome addition to our ongoing work in equity, diversity and inclusion.”
The ‘route map’ has been developed by consultancy Full Colour and commissioned by sector umbrella body Wildlife and Countryside Link.
Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennet said: “We have known for a while that wide-ranging and urgent action is needed to ensure that we change our ways in order to increase the number of people from minority ethnic communities who would like to make their career in nature conservation.
“This new report marks a serious benchmark for green groups – we must all reassess the way we operate and act now to become more inclusive.”
He added: “We need to offer young people the right opportunities to connect with nature and we must make sure that our trainee schemes are accessible, and that we recruit in a way which encourages people to want to stay with us. The status quo is not acceptable.”
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