This week, the annual RACE report was released – the UK’s largest analysis of racial diversity within the environmental charity and funder sector.

First launched in 2022, this vital work responds to the climate and conservation sector being one of the least diverse in the country – second only to farming. By moving beyond anecdote to robust data, the RACE Report gives the sector a clearer picture of where we are, and what must change, if we are serious about equity and meaningful representation. 

Ashden has submitted data to the RACE Report for the past two years, and is committed to using its findings to inform how we improve access and opportunities for people of colour at our organisation. As someone closely involved in Ashden’s DEI work, and as a woman of colour working in the climate space, I wanted to reflect on this year’s findings – both in relation to Ashden, and the environmental sector more broadly. 

Addressing the current moment 

It feels important to foreground this conversation in a frank acknowledgement: we are in the midst of a visible rollback of DEI commitments across the professional landscape. This is only one part of a wider hostility towards minoritised communities influencing our politics and society – one that fuels fear and division over solutions and common ground. For many people of colour, this context does not disappear when we step into the workplace. I can personally attest to the emotional and psychological weight that comes with existing in this current moment. And sadly, honest conversations with peers make clear my feelings are widely shared. 

But, as I believe the work of the RACE report demonstrates, we have reasons not to give in to despair. 

Despite intense pressure on charities, including shrinking budgets and reduced capacity, the data shows that people of colour in the environmental sector aren’t going anywhere. Among the 91 organisations that have submitted data consistently since the report began, representation has increased from 6.2% in 2022 to 8.4% this year. While still far below the UK workforce average of 17%, this “clear uptick in racial diversity” marks meaningful progress. 

Across all organisations submitting data this year, representation rose slightly from 4.5% to 4.7%. Participation in the report fell over the same period – from 161 organisations last year to 137 this year – something the report attributes to reduced funding for dedicated EDI roles and higher barriers to impact reporting. 

There was also a very small decrease in racially minoritised senior leaders (from 4.8% to 4.7%), alongside a more encouraging 1.6% increase in racially minoritised trustees. 

None of this suggests the work is done; progress has been incremental and uneven. But in a climate that has felt increasingly openly resistant to equity work, these gains matter and should be recognised. 

Why this work matters at Ashden 

At Ashden, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are not ‘nice to haves’ – embodying equitable principles is essential to delivering our mission of building a more just world. 

Our work is about accelerating innovative climate solutions, both in the UK and internationally, that address the reality that those least responsible for the climate crisis bear the brunt of its dire consequences. This work simply cannot happen if voices are missing, barriers go unchallenged, or decision-making power remains concentrated in the same hands. Evidence consistently shows that more diverse organisations are more innovative, more resilient and better able to solve complex problems. Diversity must not be reduced to a buzzword, but seen as a strength, and a marker of a healthy, productive workplace. 

That belief underpins our continued participation in the RACE Report and our commitment to acting on what it tells us. 

What has Ashden done since last year? 

This year’s transparency card shows areas of real progress at Ashden, alongside themes of limited capacity and budget constraints that came through in the RACE report’s findings. Part of doing this work justice is acknowledging that there is more we need to do to improve and being honest about where we’ve struggled. 

We have not yet made progression on collating application data on racial diversity, nor on exploring possibilities like developing a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates of colour who meet essential criteria. Beyond recruitment, our strategy also requires further development – something we are focusing our efforts on this coming year. 

But from the inside of the organisation, I can attest to a sense of shared responsibility for championing this work. DEI is no longer something employees of colour are expected to carry alone. Our work with external DEI consultants (the Better Org) helped colleagues better understand the lived experiences of racially minoritised staff and the structural barriers embedded in everyday organisational processes. 

With racial equality firmly on the agenda, we’ve set up workstreams to: 

• Develop a clear DEI vision for Ashden 

• Critically examine how power operates in our decision-making processes and structures 

• Review our health and wellbeing policies through an equity lens

Since last year, we have also: 

• Introduced processes to measure feelings of belonging and inclusion 

• Signed up to the Race at Work Charter 

• Fully implemented proactive efforts to encourage applications from people of colour for our vacancies 
• Continued exploring fixed-term paid placements specifically for people of colour
  

What’s next?

The RACE Report makes clear that Ashden, like much of the UK environmental sector, has a long way to go to address historic and structural racial inequalities. This year, we are committed both to celebrating progress and to asking harder questions about how we operate, who we serve and who holds power. Our mission is rooted in building a fairer, more just world through climate action. That commitment must show up not only in the solutions we champion externally, but in the culture we build internally. 

We are proud to be a part of this year’s RACE report and will continue to feed into its findings – not only when it is politically convenient, but until there is no longer a need for the report to exist. 

For more insights into the RACE report’s findings, including the Staff Perceptions Survey, visit here. You can view Ashden’s transparency cards here.