The environmental charity sector needs “rapid action” to improve diversity and inclusion within its workforce after research from the Racial Action for the Climate Emergency (RACE) found that just 6% of employees identified as people of colour or other minority groups.
This compares with 7% reported in 2022, and is notably behind the 15% of employees identifying as people of colour and other racially or ethnically minoritised groups nationwide.
The report collected information from 142 charities, involving 12,900 employees across the UK.
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RACE highlighted that a higher proportion of participating organisations have either fully or partially implemented inclusion-boosting initiatives over the past year compared with 2022’s data:
- 11% of organisations had published or were in the process of publishing data on their race equity pay gap – the same proportion as the largest 250 charities in the UK – vs 5% in 2022.
- 63% of organisations reported the full implementation of a senior leader with official responsibility for equality, diversity and inclusion – vs 44% in 2022.
- 85% of charities also said they either had partially or fully implemented a regular review of equality, diversity and inclusion activities to ensure they remain effective and impactful – vs 80% in 2022.
UOCEAN 2050 global project director Chris Desai said that as the UK’s largest Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) conservation charity, the organisation “actively championing diversity within the environmental movement tackling river and ocean plastics” to drive more “equitable and impactful solutions for a sustainable planet”.
“By fostering inclusive spaces and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, we are leading the way in ensuring that diverse perspectives are central to our initiatives and conservation,” Desai added.
