We can’t save nature without involving people from all backgrounds

We are in a nature and climate crisis. Nature is declining at an alarming rate in the UK and globally. One in six species in Great Britain are at risk, and 12% are facing extinction in Northern Ireland. To halt these declines and address the joint nature and climate crisis, we need more people taking action, and nature needs everyone’s voices, perspectives and skills to recover. 

A thriving natural world is only possible when more people can be part of the solution and act for nature. If whole communities are excluded from or disproportionately represented in conservation decision-making or access to nature, then conservation efforts are weaker, less relevant and less effective. 

That’s why race equity is essential to create a world where wildlife, wild places and all people thrive. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to contribute to, be a part of, and benefit from conservation.

Put simply, the more people engaged to save nature, the more we can do together to protect birds and other wildlife.

The RSPB is one of 137 organisations that submitted data to the RACE Report. This UK-wide analysis works to encourage UK environmental charities and their funders to tackle the lack of racial diversity in the sector and highlights the need for greater representation in sustainability and climate action.

We have supported this work since it began in 2022 and are committed to making the RSPB a place where everyone can thrive.

The latest RACE Report reveals a clear uptick in diversity in the environmental charity and funder sector, with 4.7% of staff identifying as people of colour or from other ethnically minoritised groups, up from 4.5% in 2024. This compares with 17% of the UK’s working population identifying as Black, Asian or other minority ethnic identities.

Within the RSPB, 4.1% of staff identify as people of colour or from other ethnically minoritised groups, up from 2.8% in 2022, surpassing the benchmark for large organisations. While this is an improvement, we remain committed to improving representation and equity.

The report also reveals that 31% of RSPB respondents reported racism from the public – more than double that reported in 2023 (12%).

The worrying rise is reflective of the wider external environment, for example, in March 2025, the Home Office reported a rise in race and religiously motivated offences. 

We are extremely concerned by this rise in racial harassment and its impact on our workforce, both on our nature reserves and on social media.

The RSPB promotes a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of harassment and bullying, and we are prioritising support for frontline and digital staff in response.

Our aim is that the RSPB is a place where everyone can thrive. We recognise the barriers that different communities face in accessing nature and shaping conservation efforts.

We have established a dedicated Achieving Race Equity (ARE) programme to help all people thrive and remove barriers.

“The RACE Report is a vital tool in enabling positive change and, together with fellow environmental organisations, we recognise the role we have to play in making our sector more diverse, inclusive, and representative of society.  
  
"We’re working hard to remove barriers and improve outcomes for ethnic minority people and communities. And while we know there is more to do, it is encouraging to see clear progress across our organisation and the sector as a whole. We remain committed to our long-term plans to achieve race equity. 
 
“Becoming more inclusive is not only the right thing to do: it is essential if we are to address the joint nature and climate crisis. Our aim is a world where wildlife, wild places and all people thrive, and that is only possible when more people from diverse backgrounds can be part of the solution and act for nature.”