Candid and Ariadne's guide reveals why a climate justice lens is vital to addressing climate change
NEW YORK, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Candid and Ariadne released Centering Equity and Justice in Climate Philanthropy, a climate justice guide for funders. The guide defines key terms and amplifies ways in which the climate crisis disproportionately affects particular populations and geographies. It identifies common barriers to more holistic, justice-centered climate solutions and features examples and case studies of how foundations are integrating climate justice into their grantmaking portfolios. The guide also highlights the important role intermediary organizations play in advancing climate justice and provides recommendations for how funders can introduce and sharpen a climate justice lens to address the climate crisis.
Climate change is intensifying, and philanthropists are increasingly paying attention to this crisis. Still, less than 2% of global philanthropic spending in 2019 was dedicated to climate change mitigation. There's much for philanthropy to do to address climate change. This includes not funding just climate mitigation, but also incorporating equity and justice into their climate work, and considering how climate change impacts existing grantees, whether the funder is a climate funder or not.
What is climate justice?
Science shows that the climate crisis is largely manmade, and it's widely recognized that the responsibility for the climate crisis rests disproportionately on the extractive practices of wealthier countries. Meanwhile, marginalized communities that are the least resourced and most historically excluded face the harshest consequences of climate change. Communities that are most impacted are developing transformative solutions that are often underfunded and overlooked.
Candid's new guide provides funders with a roadmap to incorporate a climate justice approach, which:
- Focuses on the root causes of climate crisis through an intersectional lens of racism, classism, economic injustice, and environmental harm.
- Prioritizes making systemic changes that are required to address unequal burdens to these communities.
- Acknowledges that those who are most affected by the climate crisis are best positioned to say how climate crisis is affecting their communities.
- Ensures that those on the frontlines have decision-making power for issues affecting their communities.
- Understands that it is vital to invest in direct action, community-based decision making, and movement building to build collective power on the ground.
- Recognizes that the climate crisis impacts every aspect of our lives and that addressing this crisis means working across a wide range of issue areas.
Janet Camarena, senior director of learning experience at Candid, said, "The pandemic has illustrated all too well the connection between inequality and negative outcomes for the most vulnerable. It has also shown us that, when pressed, philanthropy can meet the moment to address new and evolving needs. We've learned important lessons for how philanthropy can address the most pressing issues of our time, especially climate. This guide provides a playbook to help funders prepare for its impact on the communities we support."
"As more and more foundations wake up to the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and commit themselves to investing more in climate work, we hope that climate justice will become a priority for a wide range of foundations that want to tackle the root causes of climate change," said Julie Broome, director at Ariadne, "Ultimately, this crisis is interconnected with equity, and these questions must be part of the analysis and embedded in climate solutions."
Opportunities for philanthropy to support climate justice
This guide includes recommendations from the frontline organizations and climate justice funders interviewed for the guide about how funders can incorporate a climate justice lens, including:
- Direct more resources to Global South (i.e., organizations outside Europe and the United States) and to under-resourced communities in the Global North.
- Engage in peer organizing and collective funder action.
- Do not reinvent the wheel. Invest in, support, and learn from intermediary organizations.
- Make long-term investments, placing an emphasis on core support.
- Support organizing and movement building efforts.
- Center learning and engage grantee partners in defining what "impact" looks like in their communities.
Centering Equity and Justice in Climate Philanthropy was written by Seema Shah, Ph.D., and sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett and Oak Foundations. It is available here.
About Candid
Candid is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector. Every year, millions of nonprofits spend trillions of dollars around the world. Candid finds out where that money comes from, where it goes, and why it matters. Candid was formed in 2019 when GuideStar and Foundation Center merged. Candid combined GuideStar's tools on nonprofits and Foundation Center's tools on foundations with new resources to offer more comprehensive, real-time information about the social sector. Find out more at candid.org and on Twitter @CandidDotOrg.
About Ariadne
Ariadne is a European peer-to-peer network of more than 700 funders who support social change and human rights. Ariadne aims to increase philanthropic support for social change and human rights issues and helps those using private resources for public good to achieve more together than they can alone by linking them to other funders and providing practical tools of support. Find out more at ariadne-network.eu and on Twitter @ariadnenetwork.
Media Contact
Adia Colar, Candid, 5107787382, [email protected]
SOURCE Candid
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