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Held at King’s College London, the second annual summit brought together a diverse group of like-minded individuals committed to transforming diversity and inclusion in the sustainability profession.
The theme for this year’s event was intersectionality and empowerment, and came after The RACE Report revealed that just 4.5% of staff across 159 environment and sustainability organisations identify as People of Colour (PoC).
Delivering an incisive keynote address, Nannette Youssef, policy manager at the Runnymede Trust, highlighted how the climate crisis is having a disproportionate impact on PoC both in the Global South and the UK.
She said that if historical injustice, unequal responsibility and lack of intersectionality go unaddressed, we won’t find a real solution for the communities who need it most. She continued: “A seat at the table isn’t enough.” PoC must be heard, included and prioritised in decision-making for any change to be just.
The summit was hosted by The RACE Report in collaboration with King’s College London and ISEP’s Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI), which is dedicated to supporting organisations in tackling the lack of racial diversity within the sector.
An interactive workshop led by Louise Lyons-Appiah of the equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) consultancy Synkora raised thought-provoking topics, with groups discussing questions designed to test biases, challenge misconceptions and encourage active listening.
A ‘Debunking the Myths’ session with the DSI’s Caris Graham and SOS-UK’s Lee Lockhart invited participants to each contribute a word to describe racial diversity in the industry to a word-cloud.
‘Trying’ came out on top, showing that there are people in the room desperately trying to deliver change, but coming up against barriers or institutional naysaying.
Attendees were then asked to debunk four common beliefs about why organisations ‘can’t’ engage with EDI, with the responses to form part of a toolkit that professionals can use to challenge these myths in their own companies.
Following a light-hearted dance to lift the mood, climate comms professional Vanessa Power led a ‘Holding Space for Frontline Storytellers’ workshop, outlining the work of climate journalists reporting on extreme weather events and climate-change related stories in the Global South.
“In Ghana, the farmers don’t read the newspapers or watch English-language TV channels,” journalist Nana Yaw Reuben explained. “But they do listen to local radio, so this is our key channel to keep them informed of climate stories that will affect their livelihoods.”
Manu Maunganidze, co-director of The RACE Report at SOS-UK, led a series of 10-minute discussions on how various protected characteristics interact with race, providing a deep dive into intersectionality, and an opportunity to let those with lived experience take the floor.
Spaces like The RACE Summit are invaluable for fostering new connections and a sense of community, as well as for the dialogue and opportunities to keep learning, building and trying.
Farhana Khan is a senior communication officer at ISEP
