Our commitment

UK charitable foundations provide more than £4bn of funding every year to good causes, ranging from medical research to the relief of poverty.

We, the undersigned charitable foundations, recognise that the growing climate emergency is a serious risk to the pursuit of our charitable aims. All foundations, whatever our charitable mission and field of expertise, can play a part in addressing the causes of climate change and supporting adaptation to its effects.

The necessary changes to sharply reduce emissions and to adapt to climate change bring opportunities for new industries, good jobs, a cleaner environment, and improved wellbeing, but also involve significant costs. Funders can help to bring about these changes, to ensure that everyone has access to opportunities arising from the transition to a low carbon economy, and to ensure that the costs are not disproportionately borne by those who are least able to pay.

The scale of the climate threat, and the scale of the solutions needed, means that this is an issue for all parts of civil society, and for all charitable foundations. Climate change is a health issue, an equality issue, an educational issue, an economic issue, a cultural issue, a scientific issue, a security issue and a local community issue, as well as an environmental issue. Children and young people are showing bold and effective leadership. There is a special responsibility on foundations, whose assets are held for the public good, to use their resources and independence to rise to the challenge.

We, the undersigned charitable foundations, commit to:

  1. Educate and learn

    We will make opportunities for our trustees, staff and stakeholders to learn more about the key causes and solutions of climate change.

  2. Commit Resources

    We will commit resources to accelerate work that addresses the causes and impacts of climate change. (If our governing document or other factors make it difficult to directly fund such work, we will find other ways to contribute, or consider how such barriers might be overcome).

  3. Integrate

    Within all our existing programmes, priorities and processes, we will seek opportunities to contribute to a fair and lasting transition to a post carbon society, and to support adaptation to climate change impacts.

  4. Steward our investments for a post-carbon future

    We will recognise climate change as a high-level risk to our investments, and therefore to our mission. We will proactively address the risks and opportunities of a transition to a post carbon economy in our investment strategy and its implementation, recognising that our decisions can contribute to this transition being achieved.

  5. Decarbonise our operations

    We will take ambitious action to minimise the carbon footprint of our own operations.

  6. Report on progress

    We will report annually on our progress against the five goals listed above. We will continue to develop our practice, to learn from others, and to share our learning.

Signatories

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Solberga Foundation

Gower St

Frederick Mulder Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Zennström Philanthropies

JA Clark Trust

Friends Provident Foundation

Local Trust

Lankelly Chase Foundation

Barrow Cadbury Trust

Arcadia A charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Thirty Percy

The Blagrave Trust

Heathrow Community Trust

Power to Change

David Brownlow Charitable Foundation

Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation

World Habitat

Kreitman Foundation

Sir Walter St John’s Educational Charity

Global Greengrants Fund UK

Sign up

All charitable foundations are warmly invited to sign on to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change.

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