Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Chair: Miriam Bentley-Rose, The Wildlife Trusts
Vice Chair: Meera Inglis, RSPB
Link: Ellie Ward, Senior Policy Officer

Updates from the group: 

Route Map Towards Greater Ethnic Diversity in the Environment Sector

The environment sector is one of the least ethnically diverse in the UK. In partnership with Natural England, Wildlife and Countryside Link commissioned the diversity and leadership consultancy Full Colour to conduct research exploring the factors affecting progress towards greater ethnic diversity within our sector, and from this, to develop a route map for change. The 'Route Map Towards Greater Ethnic Diversity in the Environment Sector' was launched in October 2022. The route map intends to give direction and advice to help organisations within the environment sector to take action on improving ethnic diversity. It is also a statement of intent, with over 46 organisations so far pledging to commit to and deliver the route map aims over the next five years. 

The route map is accompanied by a guidance manual, providing practical advice and guidance for how organisations can implement the route map. This will also be an ongoing focus for Link's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group in the months and years to come.

Please see our Ethnic Diversity Route Map Resources for more detail on the route map, guidance and advice for taking action in your organisation, and materials for communicating about the route map internally and externally. Further information about our benchmarking process, and next steps, can be found here. Our benchmarking report for 2023 can be found here.

Organisations that have committed to deliver the route map actions over the next 5 years include: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Bat Conservation Trust, Born Free, British Canoeing, British Ecological Society, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Campaign For National Parks, ChemTrust, CIEEM, Client Earth, CPRE the countryside charity, Earthwatch, Friends of the Earth, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Greenpeace, Green Alliance, Institute of Fisheries Management, John Muir Trust, League Against Cruel Sports, Marine Conservation Society (MCS), National Trust, Natural England, NBN Trust, On the Edge Conservation, People’s Trust For Endangered Species, Plantlife, The Garden Classroom, The Ramblers, The Rivers Trust, RSPB, RSPCA, Scottish Environment Link, Soil Association, Surfers Against Sewage, Sustain, Thames 21, The Conservation Volunteers, Wales Environment Link, Waterwise, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, WildFish, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Wildlife and Countryside Link, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, WWF, Youth Hostel Association, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

In signing up to the route map, organisations make the following commitment:

"Our organisation is committed to achieving the outcomes of this route map to create a more ethnically diverse and inclusive environment movement. Organisations across the sector may take different paths to achieve these changes, but we are united in our conviction that change is necessary. We intend to create a more inclusive culture and more inclusive ways of working, to address racism and barriers to progress for people of colour, and to increase our ethnic diversity. We are determined to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be part of our vital environmental mission."

You can read our January 2023 article 'Towards greater ethnic diversity in the environment sector' for the Countryside Jobs Service here. 

For further information, or to sign your organisation up to getting involved in achieving a more ethnically diverse environment sector, please contact Ellie Ward, Link’s Senior Policy Officer.

Last updated: 08 April 2024