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Are we on the cusp of a new ‘green giving’ era?

Philanthropists have just pledged to protect 30% of our land and seas by 2030, potentially providing a huge incentive to prioritise the climate within the charity sector.

A group of nine philanthropic foundations pledged over $5 billion USD last week to help protect 30% of land and sea by the end of this decade.

Called The Giving Pledge, it’s a huge commitment – both financially and logistically – that is likely to set a precedent and boost the increasing climate focus surging within the charity sector.

We’ve seen big names and billionaires dedicate much of their energy, time, and money to good causes over the last few decades, whether it be within the arts, education, world hunger, or general inequality.

It’s important that the very wealthiest pay their dues and help out the rest of us, especially as the disparity between the 1% and everyone else grows exponentially.

This new pledge, however, is evidence to indicate that the climate crisis is becoming the focus point for philanthropists, albeit somewhat slowly. It shows a growing urgency for action, both at an individual and government level, to curb the effects of climate change.


Growing levels of concern from the wealthiest

A few of the most economically privileged among us have historically failed to engage sincerely with climate change, though this new pledge suggests things are shifting.

Jeff Bezos is notoriously stingy with dishing out dough and seems more focused on his space fantasies than our rising sea levels, for example, but is actually notably involved with this new initiative via the ‘Protecting our Planet’ challenge and has promised a personal lifetime donation of $10 billion USD.

Bill Gates, meanwhile, donated $36 billion USD between 1994 to 2018 to The Gates Foundation, and continues to play an increasingly active role in climate change research and prevention.

In addition, Dr Rebecca Gooch, senior director of research at Campden Wealth, said to the Guardian that ‘wealth holders are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of environmental conservation’. In short, those with the big bucks are noticing the need for organisations that protect our world.


What is the current state of environmental giving?

More alarming weather patterns are emerging across the globe every year, and as it becomes harder to ignore the state of our warming planet, so too does the need for hefty financial backing from the world’s most fortunate to make adaptation plans and prevention tech a reality.

Despite all the good news and headline-breaking pledges, climate focused donations and philanthropy are still dwarfed by other, more mainstream areas.

According to the NGO Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, environmental charity only makes up 8% of financial giving. We should expect this to begin to change over the next decade, however, as needs and decisiveness become more pressing.

The Giving Pledge is a big step in the right direction – and will be urgently needed if we want to seriously halt the worst of the climate crisis sooner rather than later.

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