ABOUT US
The International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change is a call to all foundations, regardless of their mission, status or geographic location to come together and signal their commitment to climate action.
OUR COMMITMENT
We, the undersigned organisations, recognise the growing climate emergency, and the serious risk it presents to the pursuit of our philanthropic aims. We believe that all organisations with philanthropic resources, whatever their mission and field of expertise, can play a role in addressing this emergency. The Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement show a clear international consensus on the urgency of addressing climate change, through mitigation and adaptation actions. There is a special responsibility on philanthropic organisations, which hold assets for the common good, to use their resources, independence and influence to rise to the challenge now.
The necessary changes to sharply reduce emissions and to adapt to climate change bring opportunities for new industries, good jobs, a cleaner environment, increased biodiversity, and improved wellbeing, but also involve significant costs. The philanthropy sector can help to bring about these changes, to ensure that everyone has equitable access to opportunities arising from the transition to a low carbon economy, and to ensure that the costs are not disproportionately borne by those who are least able to pay.
The scale of the climate emergency, and the scale of the solutions needed, means that this is a global challenge that affects us all. Climate change is a health issue, a gender equality issue, a racial and social justice issue, an educational issue, an economic issue, a cultural issue, a security issue, a human rights issue, and a local community issue. Many individuals and groups across the world are showing bold and effective leadership, including young people, women and Indigenous Peoples.
Countries, communities and organisations without a fair share of global financial resources are the least responsible for emissions, and yet are at greatest risk. The countries, communities and organisations with the largest share of global financial resources are responsible for the largest share of emissions, historically and today. The actions we can take, and the resources we have available, will vary from signatory to signatory, and from country to country. What we have in common is this public commitment to act.
We invite all philanthropic organisations everywhere to join us, by signing this international commitment, or by joining a national funder commitment on climate change.
We, the undersigned organisations, commit to action as follows:
Education and learning
We will ensure that our boards, investment committees, staff, volunteers and stakeholders are informed about the systemic causes, impacts and solutions of climate change, and the implications for our work.
Commitment of Resources
Recognising the urgency of the situation, we will commit resources to accelerate work that addresses the root causes of climate change or adaptation to its impacts. If our governing document or other factors make it difficult to directly fund such work, we will find other ways to contribute, or consider how such barriers might be overcome.
Integration
Within the design and implementation of our programmes, we will seek opportunities to contribute to a fair and lasting transition to a net zero world, and to support adaptation to climate change impacts, especially in the most affected communities.
Endowments and assets
We will consider climate change in relation to the source and management of our operational and any endowed funds. We will seek to align our investment strategy and its implementation with a rapid and just transition to a net zero economy.
Operations
We will take ambitious action to minimise the climate impact of our own operations, which may include for example travel, buildings and procurement.
Influencing and advocacy
We will seek opportunities to work with others, to amplify the voices of frontline communities, and to encourage and support more ambitious action on climate change by our key stakeholders, partners and audiences; these may include businesses, local or national governments, multilateral organisations, donors and funders, individuals or civil society movements.
Transparency
We will collect and publish information annually on the actions we have taken against the six pillars listed above to share our progress and identify areas for improvement. We will continue to develop our practice, to collaborate, and to learn from each other.
The Commitment will be available for download in several other languages shortly.
NATIONAL FUNDER COMMITMENTS
The International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change runs in parallel with the following national funder commitments on climate change:
SIGNATORIES
Foundation signatories to the Commitment will be listed from September onwards.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is leading this initiative?
The International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change is hosted by WINGS. WINGS is a network of philanthropy development and support organisations committed to ensuring philanthropy reaches its fullest potential as a catalyst for social progress. A dedicated WINGS Climate Task Force made up of over 40 foundation networks and philanthropy support organisations from 21 countries around the world and representing around 22.500 funders is supporting the development and dissemination of the Commitment.
Going forward, WINGS will continue to work closely with these national, regional and thematic foundation networks and philanthropy support organisations as “regional champions” to support foundations in implementing the pillars of the Commitment in different parts of the world. European signatories to the Commitment are warmly invited to join the Philanthropy Coalition for Climate in Europe. We hope that we can soon link up signatories from outside Europe with regional climate champions in their respective regions.
How was the Commitment text developed?
The text of the International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change was developed in a participatory drafting and feedback process with the members of the WINGS Climate Task Force. The Task Force includes foundation networks and philanthropy support organisations from all continents, as well as thematic philanthropy networks. The Task Force endorsed the final text of the Commitment at two (virtual) meetings in early June 2021.
Who can sign the International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change?
We invite all philanthropic organisations from around the world to sign the Commitment, including for example charitable trusts, community foundations and corporate foundations. We recognise the diversity of the foundation sector across countries and regions and would like the Commitment to be accessible to different types of foundations and philanthropic vehicles. We might, however, ask potential signatories to prove their charitable status, for example through active membership in a national or thematic foundation/ funder association or by providing additional documentation.
The Commitment is not open for signature by individual philanthropists, public funders and corporations.
My foundation is not funding or working on climate-related causes. Why should we still consider signing the Commitment?
The vast majority of foundations do not currently work on climate-related causes. However, given the drastic consequences of global warming, no organisation can claim to be unaffected by this crisis, irrespective of their field of activity. All foundations and philanthropic organisations have a stake and a responsibility to act as well as resources (both financial and non-financial) that they can use to create a positive climate impact. We explicitly invite foundations that are new to climate change and/or are primarily working in other fields of philanthropic activity to sign the Commitment and take steps towards climate action under the pillars of the Commitment.
Some of the pillars (e.g. investment of endowments) are not applicable to my foundation. Can we still sign the Commitment and only commit to action on selected pillars?
We believe that there are many levers for climate action open to foundations and the pillars of the Commitment reflect this multifaceted approach. The text has been drafted with different kinds of foundations in mind, and in principle, we strongly encourage signatories to take action under all pillars of the Commitment. We realise, however, that not all pillars are applicable to every philanthropic organisation. In these instances, we would ask signatories to explain in writing why they cannot take action under certain pillars of the Commitment.
Taking action under all seven pillars of the Commitment at once is asking too much of my organisation. Can we still engage with the Commitment?
Wherever possible, we expect signatories to take action under all pillars of the Commitment over time. However, given the fact that many foundations and philanthropy organisations are new to the climate journey, we realise that this might seem overwhelming at first and that change doesn’t happen overnight. To get you started, we, therefore, suggest that you prioritise certain pillars during the first year (you decide which ones are best suited to your organisation) and focus on integrating climate consideration into your activities under your chosen pillars. After one year, we will ask you to report on the progress you have made under these pillars. At that point, we will also ask you to explain how you plan to address the remaining pillars in the following year (“plan of action”).
What does the process of signing the Commitment involve?
If you are considering signing the Commitment on behalf of your organization, please ensure that:
- You have thoroughly familiarised yourself with the Commitment text and have shared and discussed it with your Board and team members.
- The person signing the Commitment has the authority to do so on behalf of the foundation/ philanthropic organisation.
- Your organisation qualifies as a “charitable foundation” or the legal equivalent in your country. Note that we might require evidence of the organisation’s legal (charitable) status.
Here is a step-by-step outline of the sign-up process:
Step 1: Register your interest
Please fill in the contact form on the website. You will receive an email from us with additional information on the sign-up process and a link to the application form (survey monkey). The application form consists mainly of multiple choice questions and takes less than 20 minutes to complete.
Step 2: Fill in the application form
Please submit the application form which will ask you to provide information about your organisation, your motivation for signing the Commitment (optional) and how you plan to implement it. We will also ask whether your organisation is a member of a national or regional foundation network and – if yes – for your permission to contact them regarding your application. If your organisation is based in Europe, we would like to connect you with the Philanthropy Coalition for Climate and will ask for your permission to do so.
Step 3: Let us review your application
The WINGS team will review your application. Occasionally, we might ask for additional information and/ or evidence of charitable status.
Step 4: Receive approval
You will receive a response from us within 4-6 weeks. If your application is approved, the name and logo of your organisation will appear on our website shortly after.
What is the role of the national, regional and thematic foundation associations in the Commitment?
As part of the application process, we will be asking whether your foundation/ philanthropic organisation is a member of a national, regional or thematic foundation/ funder association and whether you consent to us contacting them regarding your application. There are two reasons for this:
- Membership in a national, regional or thematic foundation/ funder association can serve as evidence of your organisation’s charitable status, one of the eligibility criteria for signing the Commitment.
- WINGS is strongly committed to strengthening the philanthropy ecosystem worldwide. Foundation associations can play an important role in providing tailored support to their members in taking action on climate change and many are already doing so today. As part of the activities around the International Philanthropy Commitment, we want to strengthen the role of associations as “climate philanthropy enablers” and help them champion the Commitment among their members.
What happens once a foundation has signed the Commitment?
Signing the Commitment is only the first step on the journey towards climate action. We invite foundations and philanthropic organisations to join a fast-growing community of signatories from around the world and share learnings, resources and experiences with their peers. We are currently in the process of building a network of regional champions around the world that will provide active support to foundation signatories on a regional level.
Foundation signatories from Europe are warmly invited to join the European Philanthropy Coalition for Climate. We hope that we can soon link up signatories from outside Europe with regional climate champions in their respective regions.
What does the reporting requirement entail?
We will be developing a reporting framework for foundation signatories in time for 2022. We aim to keep the reporting process as simple and manageable as possible, especially for small and less well-resourced foundations. The primary objective of the reporting process is to facilitate learning, share good practices and allow signatories to identify areas for self-improvement.
The Commitment requires signatories to report on an annual basis and we will have regular reporting cycles. All organisations that sign the Commitment in 2021, will be asked to report on their progress (probably through a survey) at the end of 2022.
Are there any costs associated with signing the Commitment?
It is free for foundations and philanthropy organisations to sign the Commitment and we want to create accessible support structures to support implementation by the signatories (with a focus on providing free resources). Implementing the pillars of the Commitment might – depending on where the foundation is starting out – involve committing additional resources into climate actions.
How does the International Philanthropy Commitment relate to the national climate commitments?
The International Philanthropy Commitment and the national climate commitments are part of the same broad movement. Philanthropic organisations that are based within a country that has a national commitment (currently UK, France and Spain) may wish to sign their national commitment. Initiatives are also underway to develop national commitments in several other countries around the world.
I would like to fund activities associated with the Commitment, how can I do that?
We want to make the Commitment widely accessible to foundations of all sizes from around the world and proactively support them in taking action on climate change. For this, we need financial support. If you are interested in funding activities associated with the Commitment and would like to learn more about the funding opportunities available, please reach out to kdombrowski@wingsweb.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
JOIN US
How to sign the commitment:
Share your contact details below, and we will send you a link to the application form.
You will be asked for additional information about your organisation and how you plan to implement the Commitment.
We will get back to you within 4-6 weeks.
Once approved, we will list your organisation as a signatory on our website.
Please share your contact details and we will be in touch: