The RACE Report – Racial Action for The Climate Emergency –a UK-wide racial reporting initiative, is calling on environment focused charities and funders to commit to taking action on the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the sector. The initiative first launched in 2022 to encourage speeding up diversity and inclusion through annual data gathering and transparency reporting. Today, sign-up for 2023 participation has been launched.
Despite work underway and commitments being made by environmental charities and funders, the sector is still failing to represent those it aims to serve for delivering on climate justice. The RACE Report reports on who is represented across all staff and boards of charitable organisations and funders working in the environment, conservation, sustainability and climate space.
The RACE Report 2022 saw 175 organisations sign up, whilst just 91 organisations submitted data. Overall staff data for these 91 organisations found that just7% of staff were people of colour and racially/ethnically minoritised groups. This is half that of the UK population aged 16 – 64 and in employment (ONS,2022).
For2023, we are calling for more organisations to demonstrate their commitment to creating step change in the sector by not only signing up but also submitting their data to improve transparency and convert commitments and statements into action.
Updates for 2023:
· Transparency cards for all organisations, in addition to aggregated reporting mirroring 2022.
· Publishing names of ‘non-submission’ organisations, where eligible organisations are classified by NCVO as ‘major’ or super-major’ charities.
· Staff perceptions survey (12th June – 2nd July), to better understand how quantitative diversity data translates to culture and experience.
· Deadline for 2023 data submission: 2nd October 2023
· Report release: December 2023
The RACE Report provides a standardised data collection methodology for the UK’s environmental charities, and their funders, and they are asked to assess and report on the racial diversity of their workforce and trustees each year. Organisers hope this will bring more transparency to the sector, enable peer learning, and boost efforts to make the charities more inclusive and diverse.
This initiative, and others like it, will work towards the shared goal of building a workforce that is more representative of modern Britain so that people of colour can thrive in this crucial sector.
Thanks to The RACE Report founding partners for continued support: Nature Youth Connection and Education, Hindu Climate Action, South Asians for Sustainability and SOS-UK. Thanks also to funders Esmée Fairburn Foundation.
Sign-up to take part in The RACE Report 2023 here.