“Only 3% of total philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes”; Perhaps an unexpected figure given the widespread acknowledgement that we are in a climate crisis. With urgent calls for action and grandstanding statements being made right now at Cop27, this figure slides into hypocrisy.
1% for the Planet aims to address this gap in philanthropy with the mission of getting every business to give at least 1% of their profits to environmental causes. These causes can range from a focus on social and environmental justice, addressing specific issues such as plastic pollution, and finding long term solutions to address climate change. 1% for the Planet certifies the organisations that can be given to and the amount that businesses have given.
As a member of 1%, staff from Brampton College, including our Principal, attended their London conference last term. There are 614 members in the UK giving $14 million total donations (worldwide it is 5.1 thousand members giving $61 million). Discussions included the way in which businesses can change their practises to make better environmental choices.
To critically investigate what environmental actions can (or should) be taken at different scales, this month students at Brampton College are chairing a panel interview with environmental charities that the school’s Charitable Trust support via 1%. The charities include Client Earth, an environmental law charity that uses legislation to hold companies and even governments to account for environmental harms, WWF, who are currently making an appeal for the devastating floods in Pakistan and highlighting the tragic consequences of our changing climate, and Greenpeace, who engage in activism and environmental research.
Students will be questioning what constitutes effective actions to combat climate change and why this is necessary now. We look forward to hearing students’ thoughts on the event!
