Breaking Down Barriers: Why UK Environmental Groups Lack Diversity at Leadership Levels

Environmental groups are still predominantly white, especially in leadership roles. Areeba Hamid, co-director of Greenpeace, highlighted this issue as new research showed that the diversity within these organizations hasn’t improved much.

The latest Race report reveals that less than 5% of staff in environmental charities identify as people of color or from other minority groups. In contrast, about 16% of the UK workforce as a whole represents these groups. Hamid shared her feelings about being the only person of color in many CEO meetings, calling it unsettling in today’s society. She emphasized the importance of measuring diversity as a first step toward making real changes.

Despite the lack of progress, more organizations are starting to share their diversity data. The report analyzed information from 161 environmental NGOs, the highest number so far, representing over 28,600 employees. This gives us a clearer picture of racial diversity in the sector.

The report shows that 4.5% of workers in these organizations come from ethnic minority backgrounds, which is lower than the 6% reported last year. However, the increase in data collection means that these figures aren’t directly comparable. Notably, larger organizations tend to have lower diversity rates. For instance, only 1.8% of staff in groups with 500 to 1,000 employees were from ethnic minority backgrounds, while smaller organizations with 10 to 49 workers had an average diversity rate of 14.1%.

Manu Maunganidze, who worked on the report, emphasized the need to keep pushing for diversity, stating that uncovering these issues is part of the journey. He noted that, while people of color may be a minority in the UK, they often face the brunt of climate change worldwide. Communities affected by floods, wildfires, and rising seas are often left out of important discussions. This makes representation crucial for effective environmental action.

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