A report by Candid, a research firm, suggests philanthropists could help alleviate the damage of climate change by donating more money to fight global warming and those communities they most threaten.
Heather McGray of the Climate Justice Resilience Fund said in “Centered Equity and Justice in Climate Philanthropy.””But it only works if success is defined as reducing the overall harm of climate change, not just reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
According to the report, only some 2% of global aid flowing to climate and under 4% of its approximately $60 million in 2019 is earmarked for climate justice and justice-related work.
“It’s a tiny slice of an already-tiny slice,” said Janet Camarena, senior director of Candid Learning, a research group that co-produced the report.
For all “the buzz we hear about trust-based philanthropy and participatory processes,” Camarena points out, most donors don’t rely on the expertise of the people who receive their money.
Sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Oak Foundation, the report drew inspiration from a push to reverse the trend.
In 2019, Ariadne, a European network of foundations that support social change and human rights, saw the need to expand financing for climate justice.
