Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Though we focus on overlooked species, at Synchronicity Earth, people and communities – and our relationships with them – are very much at the heart of what we do.
The impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are felt globally, but inequalities in society mean that some people are disproportionally affected, and not everyone has the same opportunities to speak out (and be heard) or be empowered to drive change.
That’s why we are committed to creating an open and inclusive workplace – and beyond this, a more equitable world. This involves recognising that in terms of diversity, the environment sector (and our organisation, as part of it) has a long way to go, and doing what we can to steer it forward.
Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group is a staff-led committee actively engaged in this work. It is open to all employees to provide feedback and suggestions on how we can do better, and how we can support EDI initiatives in the wider sector, and influence our network as we learn.
We have developed an EDI strategy which we are now embedding across our team, ensuring that our ways of working reflect Synchronicity Earth’s values of fairness, care, and trust – internally and externally.
Action towards a fairer future
We recognise that the environment sector (and our organisation, as part of it) does not reflect the diversity of the global community it serves (particularly in terms of ethnic diversity) and has a long way to go to be as inclusive as possible to ensure people from all backgrounds and personal situations feel welcome in the workplace. We are committed to tackling discrimination in all forms within our organisation and beyond, and have been particularly focusing on anti-racism and decolonising conservation.
Steps we are taking to enact positive changes in our organisation and beyond include:
- Participating in the RACE Report and being transparent about our progress through our transparency card;
- Operating a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for those with a disability and/or from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background who meet essential criteria for new roles;
- Celebrating diversity and raising awareness on EDI issues within the team;
- Accurately representing the global communities we serve and improving accessibility across communications and events;
- Influencing the sector to address and acknowledge power imbalances in conservation and philanthropy;
- Providing paid internship opportunities to encourage people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds to gain entry-level experience in the environment sector.
“Before starting my placement, I hadn’t understood the scale of the biodiversity crisis. Not only did I learn about the problems, but through writing about Synchronicity Earth’s partners, I was learning about the solutions, and I was so inspired by the hundreds of people working to save the world’s biodiversity, down to the rarest and most unique species.”
Jessica Birabil, Communications Intern
Supporting the wider movement
Although much of our EDI journey has been inward-facing, looking at how we can improve our internal culture and make our work more inclusive for our team and wider network, we have also been proud to participate, learn from, and support projects focusing on the wider environment sector.
In 2017, research found that 96.9% of environment professionals surveyed identified as White British, making it the second least ethnically diverse profession in the UK. This statistic, and subsequent research about the lack of ethnic diversity in the sector (2023) and connected issues such as lack of equal opportunity, cultural sensitivity, and discrimination/harassment (2021 and 2023), have led to ethnic diversity being a key focus.
The ‘Broadening the base’ strand of our Synchronicity Portfolio aims to support work that opens up spaces that have been harder to reach for marginalised voices, drive action on creating a more inclusive culture across the environmental sector, and encourage wider participation in nature conservation.
Broadening the base
Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) run an annual survey called the RACE Report which evaluates the ethnic diversity of staff and trustees working on environmental, climate, nature, or sustainability issues. Supporting this report is a wider engagement programme and a staff perception survey.
In 2021-2022, a coalition of organisations leveraged the government’s Kickstart Scheme (a youth unemployment initiative) to fund 125 paid placements for young people on Universal Credit to gain six months experience in the environment sector. In 2022, Reefah Chowdhury joined us as a Communications Assistant through this programme.
VOYAGE Youth is a social justice charity that aims to empower marginalised black young people in London. In 2023 it organised a Green Careers Fair as part of its Young Leaders for Sustainable Cities BTEC course to help 14–15-year-olds gain an understanding of different organisations and roles, the skills that are needed, progression opportunities and benefits of a career in the environment.
Manu Maunganidze, co-Director at SOS-UK, speaking at the RACE Summit in 2024. © Maar Dinu/SOS-UK
Just like the natural world, the movement to create a fairer and more sustainable future will thrive and become more resilient with greater diversity.
We are still early on in our journey of learning how to become a more accessible workplace, inclusive employer and funder, and anti-racist, anti-colonial conservationists. We look forward to sharing our progress with you.