Just one in 14 green charity leaders are from ethnic minorities

A report into diversity in the environmental charity sector has found that only 7% of senior leaders are from racially or ethnically minoritised groups.

The findings are based on reporting data received from 57 charities.

This is the same proportion as for people of colour at all levels of the organisation, based on responses from 91 charities.

In addition fewer than one in ten (9%) people of colour in green charities received a promotion during 2021, the research found. This is based on data received from 28 charities.

Meanwhile, only 11% of trustees across 62 environmental charities are from racial or ethnically minoritised groups, and just 5% of people managers across 57 charities are from ethnically minoritised backgrounds.

The findings have been published by diversity campaign group Race Report.

Returns on diversity for the research were submitted by charities, trusts and foundations that predominately work on environmental, climate, nature or sustainability issues.

A total of 175 charitable organisations in these sectors have signed up to The Race Report’s goal to increase transparency to boost diversity and inclusion in the environmental sector. Of these 91 submitted race and ethnicity data at some level.

It points out that representation people of colour among environmental and sustainability charitieis is half the 14% proportion of the UK working population that identiry as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME).

“It is clear that more substantial and widespread action is needed to ensure organisations’ diversity is reflective of the broader picture across the UK's population,” said the report.

The report also found that green charities are dominated by 25- to 24-year-olds, with 26 per cent of staff in this age range. Only 2% of green charity staff are 65 or over and just 8% are 24 or under.

In April the RACE Report called on green charities to replicate a project among not for profit environmental organisations in the US to report on staff diversity annually.

The call was made after research found the environmental sector is the least diverse profession.