The Times They Are A-Changing: Making climate your priority in a changing world 

Article written by Will Harriss, Associate Director of Fundraising and Strategy

To paraphrase Bob Dylan, we live in uncertain times. The COVID pandemic showed humans that we’re not invincible (not that we ever were) and the ever-changing political climate has challenged and stretched our national and democratic institutions in ways that have far-reaching implications.  

This comes alongside the rapid adoption of AI into all walks of life. Indeed, a world and its systems driven by AI is looking increasingly likely, despite the fact that already AI is getting the hang of lying to suit its own agenda. Is stability being replaced by permanent crisis? You choose. 

But where does the climate fit into all this? Well, amongst all this change, we cannot forget the ongoing transformation of our climate. The one constant climate narrative, held by the majority of climate scientists, is that the world is getting warmer as a direct effect of human activity and, if we don’t take action to stop the world getting warmer, or even to slow the rate by which our planet is heating, then the implications are enormous. Sea levels will rise, devastating low-lying countries. Temperatures will rise, causing more extreme precipitation, flash flooding and stronger storms. Once safe habitats – for humans and for animals – could become fundamentally endangered. 

Whether you think climate change is an existential threat, scaremongering by malign actors, or somewhere in between, government policy is changing to reflect this level of concern about climate change. In turn, public funders are prioritising organisations that can articulate their contribution to environmental responsibility and donors are increasingly giving to organisations that are seeking to make climate-related impact alongside their core work.  

And, if the rise of AI is the big news story of the moment, then it certainly doesn’t come without an environmental cost. Some reports are suggesting that the rise of AI in the UK could start to stretch supplies of drinking water and some data centres are using the same amount of energy that is needed for tens of thousands of homes.  

And this is just the start of our AI adoption. 

In this environment, some may argue that responding to climate change should be a core leadership (and moral) priority. Funders are prioritising climate change impact in their investment decisions, meaning not responding to climate change may make your organisation less fundable from those donors and funders on whom your very survival depends.  

Goodness knows the financial backdrop for the arts, culture and heritage sector is precarious as it is, with each passing quarter seemingly giving us another emergency funding campaign, or closure announcement. It’s an obvious thing to say, but worth saying: the very last thing organisations need are its leaders not prioritising things that will make them more fundable. 

So, get your swimming costume on and let’s look at the benefits. What could the positive impact of responding to climate change be on your organisation? Here are four thoughts: 

1. It can build your fundraising income 

Research shows that donors want to know how the charity they support is protecting the planet, with 74% of UK adults being worried about climate change (ONS, 2022), and one survey noting that 24% of donors were asking charities about their sustainability efforts (CIOF, 2020). A recent report also showed that climate funding surged 20% in 2023, outpacing the overall growth in global philanthropic giving for the first time since 2020 (ClimateWorks Foundation’s 2024 Funding Trends Report).  

With these figures in mind, it’s clear that philanthropic priorities are changing and responding to this change could help generate income for your organisation. Remember that a series of small changes can have a big overall effect – and that projects that respond to Climate Change may have an upfront cost but may also result in significant savings over the long term. One heritage example is Gloucester Cathedral installing 150 photovoltaic solar panels – which now generate around 25% of the cathedral’s energy usage.  

2. It can support your engagement with grantmakers 

UK charitable foundations provide more than £4bn of funding every year to good causes and in 2019 the Association of Charitable Foundations launched the Funder Commitment on Climate Change (FCCC). It’s a holistic, high-level framework that supports funders to play their part in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change. Put simply, it recognises that ‘the growing climate emergency is a serious risk to the pursuit of charitable aims’ and signatories pledge to commit resources to directly address this.  

This is also in line with public funders such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which explicitly states that ‘We support heritage projects that help the UK meet its nature recovery targets and mitigate the impact of climate change on heritage … we expect the projects we fund to help protect the environment.’  

It follows that in a competitive funding environment, having a clear climate change strategy and action plan can give your organisation the edge when seeking support from funders who want to support climate change mitigation efforts. 

3. It can help you align with local authority objectives 

Councils are the UK’s biggest public funder of culture, spending over £1bn a year on a range of local services, including libraries, museums and galleries, theatres, heritage sites and archives. This figure rises to £2.6bn when sports, leisure, parks and green spaces are included (Local Government Association, 2024). Yet, between 2010 and 2024, annual spend on culture and leisure services saw a real-terms annual spending fall of £2.3bn (also Local Government Association, 2024) meaning that, when tough funding choices have to be made, organisations will need to demonstrate how closely they can align with local authority objectives, including on climate.  

With the UK Government keen to accelerate the Net Zero date, and over 300 councils declaring a Climate Emergency, if your organisation can’t demonstrate how it is supporting the push towards Net Zero, you may find that organisations that can will get the local authority funding you might have been depending on. 

4. It can help you recruit and retain talented employees 

A recent report highlighted that there’s a growing number of sector job vacancies in the creative industries, and another report noted that climate has become a factor in the ability to recruit talented staff. A survey by Deloitte in 2022 found that almost 80% of business leaders agreed that environmental sustainability efforts have a positive impact on employee recruitment and retention. This is less about switching off monitors at night (even if it is a simple way to save money and cut carbon emissions!) but more about showcasing your organisation’s broader environmental credentials to potential talented employees.  

Ultimately, what is clear is that addressing climate change is a topic that isn’t going to go away. It needs serious thought and investment at SLT and Board level. Some might suggest that making environmental efforts a priority in your organisation, before donors or staff leave, should be on the leadership agenda for every CEO, every Chair, and every organisation. 

Afterall, if not now, then when is it going to be too late to take action? Stay tuned into the Heritage Compass website for part two where we discuss guidance, resources and practical toolkits on this topic.