Climate crisis calls for civil action: a leadership imperative

Jane Ide, CEO of ACEVO, kicks off Climate week.

In the face of escalating climate and environmental crises, the role of civil society leaders is critical. We are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change, not only within our organisations but also across the broader societal landscape.

As we launch ACEVO’s first climate week, we’re calling on civil society leaders to grasp the opportunity to use our position, our influence and our skills to drive urgently needed change.

Understanding the crisis

The climate crisis is a global emergency that affects every aspect of our lives. From rising sea levels and extreme weather events to biodiversity loss and food insecurity the impacts are profound and far-reaching. 

Within the UK we are experiencing more frequent flooding, greatly increased rainfall and premature deaths from air pollution and heat.  There is growing evidence of the impact of eco-anxiety on mental health, especially for younger people.  

For civil society leaders, acknowledging the scale and urgency of this crisis is the first step towards effective action.

For our values-led, equity focused sector, we are on the frontline of the reality that climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities, exacerbating existing social inequalities¹.

And as leaders, we need to understand the risks to our own organisations and the causes we serve, and do all we can to mitigate them.

Social and climate justice

At the heart of the climate crisis lies a fundamental issue of justice. Climate justice emphasizes that those who are least responsible for climate change generally bear the brunt of its impacts. This includes communities in the Global South, low-income populations, and marginalized groups such as people of colour and indigenous communities².

In the UK our marginalized and disadvantaged communities face greater climate or environmental impacts such as flooding, heatwaves and poor air quality while they contribute least to the problem. They often have fewer resources with which to adapt and are underrepresented in decision-making processes, exacerbating social and economic inequalities¹².

Social justice is intrinsically linked to climate justice. The same systemic inequalities that drive social injustice also contribute to environmental degradation. The underlying systems and structures that create and perpetuate social inequalities — economic disparity, health inequality, racial injustice, transport related exclusion, lack of political representation — also lead to environmental harm.

Marginalised communities often live in areas with higher pollution levels and fewer green spaces, and they have less access to resources for environmental protection and sustainability. These systemic issues create a cycle where social and environmental injustices reinforce each other, and not just in the here-and-now, but for generations to come.

So as civil society leaders we must advocate for policies and practices that address these inequities and that drive social and climate justice across generations as well as across diverse communities.

Campaigning for climate action

Charities have a powerful voice in advocating for climate action. Leaders can use their platforms to raise awareness, influence policy, and mobilize communities. Effective campaigning involves clear, consistent messaging that highlights the urgency of the crisis and the need for immediate action. It also requires collaboration with other organisations, policymakers, and stakeholders to amplify impact and drive systemic change³.

Our campaigning voices need to be twin-track, focusing on mitigation (aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming) and adaptation (helping communities adjust to the changing climate).

Civil society leaders can champion initiatives such as renewable energy projects, sustainable agriculture and food practices, sustainable transport, and climate-resilient infrastructure – demonstrating the tangible benefits of climate action for our communities.

And one of our sector’s superpowers is the knowledge, understanding and capability we have to nurture and enable community-led change.  Shifting power towards communities, championing climate change as a focal point within our existing networks of change makers and facilitating links between socially focused and environmentally focused networks are all vitally important roles that we are uniquely placed to play.

Supporting beneficiaries

Charities play a crucial role in supporting their beneficiaries in the face of climate change, providing resources, education, and services that help communities lead inclusive, effective change and adapt to new environmental realities. Charities can offer training on community-led biodiversity and sustainable travel projects, distribute emergency relief during extreme weather events, and advocate for policies that protect vulnerable populations⁴.

Supporting beneficiaries also means listening to their needs and incorporating their perspectives into climate strategies. Community-led approaches ensure that solutions are relevant, effective, and culturally appropriate. By empowering beneficiaries to take an active role in climate action civil society leaders can foster greater resilience and collective behavioural shifts, supporting and enabling communities to make collective change.

Practical steps for organisations

Inevitably the place we can each have most direct impact is within our own organisations. While we all have an overflowing to-do list, there are a number of practical steps each of us can choose from, any of which will have impact:

• Make it a topic you talk about: encourage open, honest conversations, drawing out the views of your trustees, your staff, your volunteers and your beneficiaries. In a world where climate change seems to have slipped down of even off the political and media agenda we can fight against that absence becoming the dominant narrative.
• Integrate climate into mission and strategy: ensure that climate considerations are embedded in your organization’s mission, values, and strategic goals. Make sure that climate action is a core priority in your decision-making and resource allocation.
• Understand your environmental and climate impacts: consider how your activities are directly or indirectly impacting on the climate crisis and local environments.  Explore and plan out how negative impacts can be eliminated over time and positive impacts maximised.
• Educate and engage staff and stakeholders: provide training and resources to help staff, volunteers and beneficiaries understand the importance of climate action and how they can contribute, and draw on their knowledge to help you find ways to improve your climate impacts. Foster a culture of sustainability and encourage innovative solutions.
• Consider your organisational risks: many trustee boards may not see a clear link between climate change and your mission, but we are all carrying risks as a result of climate impact – whether we realise it or not. Think through the ways in which climate changes might impact you operationally as well as strategically, in terms of business continuity as well as the bigger issues of equity and impact on your beneficiaries.  As one example, in the heatwave of summer 2023 ACEVO’s website crashed as a result of extreme heat impacting the cloud servers that support it.  Others have had difficulties maintaining service levels when staff couldn’t get to work because of flash flooding in their local area.
• Collaborate and share knowledge: join networks and coalitions, whether national, international or local to you, that focus on climate action and sustainability. Share best practices, learn from others, and collaborate on joint initiatives to maximize impact.
• Advocate for policy change: Use your organization’s influence to advocate for policies that support climate action and social justice aligned with your purpose. Engage with policymakers, participate in public consultations, and support campaigns that align with your mission.

The journey towards a sustainable future is challenging, but with committed leadership and collective effort it is still within our reach.

If not us, then who?  And if not now, then when?

¹: ACEVO. Climate and Environmental Leadership Principles. ²: Think NPC. Why All Charities Have a Role Responding to Climate and Nature Crises. ³: ACEVO. Urges Charities to Do More to Respond to Climate Crisis. ⁴: International Review of the Red Cross. The Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations. : ACEVO. Climate and Environmental Leadership Principles.