Charities get government support on tackling climate change

Charities, voluntary organisations and NGOs are to team up with Government to look at ways to tackle climate change and other environmental issues is this sector.


The resulting third sector taskforce will bring together government representatives including ministers from Defra, DECC and the Cabinet Office and senior figures from NGOs.

Importantly, the taskforce will involve groups from across the charity sector, not just from those campaigning on environmental issues.

It will seek to set out concrete action that can be taken to improve the sector’s environmental performance.

The Green Alliance and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) will provide the secretariat for the taskforce and are actively recruiting members from across the sector.

DECC Minister Joan Ruddock said: “Climate change is the most important challenge facing our society. Unchecked, it will have major impacts on individuals and communities, and on the interests of third sector organisations.

“We can tackle it, but only if all parts of society are mobilised to act. This new task force is part of making that happen.”

Stephen Hale, Green Alliance director, said: “I warmly welcome the creation of this taskforce. There is already a wide array of creative and effective initiatives within the third sector on climate change and other pressing challenges.

“But we need a dramatic surge in the scale and impact of this activity to secure the action we need to avert catastrophic climate change and secure our futures.”

The taskforce is part of Defra’s wider Third Sector Strategy was launched last November.

The package included the intention to createthis taskforce, a £6m Greener Living Fund, a new Third Sector Advisory Board and a new campaign to promote environmental volunteering.

David Gibbs

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