On 30 June, our Chief Executive Jabeer Butt and Community Engagement Coordinator Lee Lockhart attended the RACE Summit 2026 (Racial Action for the Climate Emergency). The event was the third annual Summit dedicated to exploring racial justice, equity, and inclusion in the environmental and climate charity sector.
The summit brought together organisations to explore how to build a more diverse and inclusive environmental sector, centred on the theme of “Changing the Narrative”. During the summit, Jabeer hosted a workshop exploring the role of data – showing how data can drive conversations about racial justice and prompt action, even in cases of incomplete evidence. Jabeer also highlighted the need to improve and strengthen evidence to further this cause.
The workshop used air pollution as a case study to examine the impact of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on people from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic communities. The workshop highlighted that despite lower rates of car ownership, Black communities in London are disproportionately affected by transport-related air pollution. This disproportionate impact led Jabeer to highlight a contradiction that is all too common in the environmental sector: that those contributing least to transport emissions often bear the greatest burden of poor air quality. ULEZ has, however, significantly improved the air that all Londoners breathe, thereby partially alleviating the impact of air pollution on racialised communities.
Jabeer also discussed findings from The RACE Report 2025, which tracks racial and ethnic diversity across the UK’s environmental, climate, and conservation charities sector. The report found that across 137 participating organisations, representing more than 28,000 staff, only 4.7% were from ethnically minoritised communities – highlighting the persistent lack of representation across the sector.
The session ended with a call for both better representation and a stronger commitment to anti-racism and diversity of thought across the sector. Joined on stage by Manu Maunganidze, co-founder of The RACE Report and Director of Inclusion & Climate Justice at SOS-UK, Jabeer discussed the need for more detailed, disaggregated data, while emphasising that this should not hinder organisations from continuing to take meaningful steps towards racial justice in this sector.
The session prompted thoughtful and honest discussion among delegates about the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Reflecting on the workshop, Sareta Puri, Diversity Outreach Lead at Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming, shared the following:
“Jabeer Butt highlighted that we can’t wait for perfection to take action. The conversations were honest and frank – largely knowing that we were in a safe space surrounded by fellow people of colour and white allies. I spoke up in a large session about the inaction in our sector talking about the impact of the rise of the far right, as I felt safe to do so. “
We are pleased to have been a part of this important summit, and look forward to continuing these conversations as we work towards a more equitable environmental movement.
