What the RACE Report reveals about our journey towards racial justice
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What the RACE Report reveals about our journey towards racial justice

The climate crisis is not just an environmental issue, it’s a human issue deeply rooted in inequity. The most affected communities – those least responsible for the crisis – bear its heaviest burden. We’re committed to changing that, and we know change starts with accountability. It starts with us.

That’s why, for the third consecutive year, we’ve participated in the RACE Report: the UK’s largest analysis of racial and ethnic diversity in the environmental sector. This year’s report brings together data from 161 organisations representing over 28,600 employees. This is a record level of participation which reflects a growing momentum, but the findings are stark: just 4.5% of staff in the sector identify as people of colour, compared to 16% of the wider workforce. We still have a long way to go.

Our progress

The RACE Report holds up a mirror to our sector, helping us reflect on our progress while highlighting areas where we fall short. Greenpeace UK has made some encouraging strides: 23.4% of our staff – up from 18.6% last year – and 42.8% of our board members identify as people of colour.

Whilst we’re proud of these steps, we recognise there’s more to do – particularly in improving the representation of Black communities in our workforce. We are a London-based organisation, and it’s critical that our team reflects the diversity of the city we call home. 

This is an area we are committed to improving as we move forward. That’s why we’ll soon be publishing our race and ethnicity representation targets, because accountability pushes action, and action delivers impact.

Turning commitments into action

We’re working to embed equity across every aspect of our organisation, from who we employ, to the experiences we represent, and the systemic changes we campaign for. Here are some of the actions we’re taking:

  • Changing the culture: All our staff attend anti-oppression workshops, equipping them with the tools and confidence to challenge exclusionary behaviours and embed inclusive practices. We’ve also progressed the insights phase of our ‘Inclusion Project’ – a large-scale effort to understand the experiences of colleagues from marginalised communities and dismantle exclusionary workplace norms.
  • Taking responsibility: Every one of our teams has developed tailored Anti-Racism Agreements outlining how they will address racism and respond to microaggressions in daily practice. And we’ve integrated diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism objectives into all Personal Development Reviews.
  • Creating opportunities: Our People of Colour Equity & Empowerment Programme supports staff of colour in developing leadership and campaigning skills, gaining the experience to progress into roles that align with their ambitions. We’ve also ring-fenced places for people of colour in our recruitment and selection training so that we can achieve more diverse panels for all interviews.

We’re embedding these principles into our campaigns too. Recently, we hosted a ‘Community Gathering for Climate Justice’, bringing together leaders from climate-vulnerable regions, including the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, and Latin America, to share strategies and build solidarity. We also continue to offer our Open Workshop space to groups working on social and racial justice.

These initiatives show that environmental and social justice are inseparable. By listening to the communities most affected by the climate crisis, we can ensure our work amplifies their voices. While we’ve made progress, we know there’s still much more to do – and we’re committed to continuing this work.

Why representation matters

Communities of colour are at the sharp end of the climate crisis. Yet, these same communities remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces. Without diverse perspectives and voices shaping the environmental movement, we risk overlooking the very solutions needed to halve emissions and restore biodiversity by the end of this decade in a fair and equitable way.

Let’s face it – environmental organisations are still very white, especially at the top. I find myself in CEO meetings where I’m the only person of colour in the room, and it just doesn’t feel right in 21st-century Britain. Since measuring a problem is the first step towards solving it, it’s good to see more and more organisations publishing data about their staff’s ethnic diversity. But, as a sector, we now need to move swiftly from talking about the issue to actually doing something about it. There’s no magic formula to fix this problem, but at Greenpeace UK we have tried several initiatives around recruitment, retention and career progression and got some good results, showing that progress is possible. People of colour are at the sharp end of many environmental crises, from climate change to air pollution – they deserve much better representation in the green sector.”

Co-Executive Director, Areeba Hamid

The RACE Report reminds us that transparency is only one piece of the puzzle. Data can show where we are, but change comes from meaningful, sustained action. At Greenpeace UK, we’re committed to doing the work, because it’s essential to building a greener, healthier and more peaceful world.