“…it’s when we are together and focusing our attention on those who are likely to be the hardest hit that we can have the biggest impact.”
- Liz Gadd
In this episode we speak with Liz Gadd, Principal Consultant at NPC, about the climate crisis and how charities from across the sector need to start tackling it, both to do their part and also to help their beneficiaries and meet their mission and vision.
1. Climate Crisis anxiety and despondency
It is sobering to hear about the impact that we may all be feeling on a regular basis because of chemicals in and around our homes. And whether you are a parent or not, I’m sure that there are times when you, like me, find yourself worrying about the state of the planet now and in the future. It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed and fatigued, especially in light of other immediate challenges, such as the current economic crisis.
2. Charity missions all must face the climate crisis
Charities are a diverse bunch, and with missions that cover saving whales to bringing the joy of singing. There are hundreds of thousands working in the sector and many more volunteering for it. Many of these charities have a clear vision about a world where their cause is no longer needed, perhaps a utopian world which is barely conceivable at this point in time.
And yet, we all face a common challenge in the form of climate crisis, which is generally agreed to be causing havoc with our weather, food and drinking-water supplies, leading to greater insecurities for all, especially the poorest in our global society. No matter what our charity is seeking to do in the world, climate crisis will have a bearing. So as well as sharing the responsibility to tackle it as individuals humans our charities must also commit to addressing it too, both in our practices and indeed as part of our objectives.
3. Doing something is better than doing nothing
We all have power, some of it small, to affect a positive change in our world. Whether that’s choosing to walk rather than using fossil fuels by driving, or shunning plastic bags, and limiting the resources we generally consume.
But charities have greater power still, even small ones who may be little with just one or two people doing what they can in their spare time. In many cases charities are still looked upon as leading the good fight, having a voice within their communities and in their dealings with those with more power: States, funders, companies, high-net worth individuals for example.
The short-term, and often engrained challenges that many charities have been setup to tackle, or evolved to change, pale in comparison to the existential crisis that we will all face in the coming years and decades. In this time of challenge there is a risk of overload, of saying that we can only focus on me, or mine. Perhaps though, finding ways to collaborate on the fundamental challenge of climate crisis could also be the impetus to achieve the long-term social changes we have been fighting for all along.
This episode of Charity Chat has been brought to you by our platinum sponsor Work for Good. Work for Good believes everyone should be able to turn the work they do into good. Through their fundraising platform, they offer charities a way to engage and work with small businesses, including founders, owners and sole traders who want to make an impact for charities through their sales. To find out more, please visit workforgood.co.uk.
We hope you enjoy this week’s episode.
Related episodes that you may be interested in:
E197 - System Strategy with Seth Reynolds -
E179 - Refugee Crisis and Galvanising a Group Effort with Amber Bauer -
E156 - The Sustainable Office Guide With Lauren Wiseman - https://www.charitychat.org.uk/post/e156-the-sustainable-office-guide-with-lauren-wiseman