Data released by, SOS-UK and its partners, The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), has revealed that just 4.8% of environment professionals identify as black, asian or minority ethnic, compared with a 12.6% average across all professions.
Despite the efforts of a range of recent initiatives, people of colour remain significantly underrepresented across the environmental sector, according to the new research.
Some areas within the environmental sector, such as ‘conservation professionals’ are classified as being 100% white in their makeup, based on the latest Office for National Statistics data.
The researchers also looked at Higher Education Statistics Agency data and found that this issue prevails before people enter the workforce. Black, asian and minority ethnic individuals are underrepresented in the ‘feeder subjects’ for environmental careers. Only 6% of those studying biodiversity conservation, for example, identify as black, asian or minority ethnic, compared with a 26% average across all higher education subjects.
This new data has been the impetus for the creation of a brand new UK-wide racial reporting initiative, which launches today, which has been designed to encourage UK environmental charities, and their funders, to tackle the ongoing lack of racial diversity in their workforce and governing bodies.
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Posted On: 05/04/2022