Greenpeace takes direct action with new set of diversity and representation goals

Firstly, why now? What prompted this change?

There’s been a lot leading to this point, our anti-racism commitments in 2020, our continuing participation in the RACE Report, and the launch of our Organisational Development Plan in 2024. And of course a wider and deeper understanding of the importance of these issues in society. The problems we’re trying to address have been around for a long time, but we’re at a critical point where we have the right data and ambition to address them, and so we are treating this as a priority.

Systemic racism and environmental injustice are deeply connected – we cannot tackle one without addressing the other. As an organisation dedicated to environmental justice, we must also challenge inequities within our own walls. A more diverse, inclusive GPUK strengthens our ability to create meaningful change and connect with the communities we serve.

I'm surprised that you're not already pretty diverse.

The RACE Report shows that the environmental sector as a whole is behind the curve when it comes to racial and ethnic diversity. The findings are stark: just 4.5% of staff in the sector identify as people of colour. In fact, after farming and agriculture, the environmental sector is the 2nd least racially and ethnically diverse in the UK.

We’ve made some encouraging strides: 23.4% of our staff and 42.8% of our board members identify as people of colour, as well as progress we’ve made on gender and LGBTQIA+ representation. Whilst we’re proud of these steps, we recognise there’s more to do – particularly in improving the representation of Black and Asian communities in our workforce.