How will climate change affect your organisation?

Because some climate change is now seen as inevitable, voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) in the UK need to understand what impact this will have on their work, so that they can make informed choices to prepare for the future.

You need to explore the impact climate change will have on:

• your beneficiaries or cause
• your work.

Why focus on this issue?

Of course, there are lots of trends that are likely to have a major impact on VCOs in the coming years. But climate change is an essential one to consider, as it cuts across many of the issues our sector is already dealing with. It will exacerbate the existing inequalities that many VCOs work so hard to tackle; it's a matter of social justice.

It's also something that will have an impact on everyone's life. So the issue has huge implications for our sector, whatever field you are in.

Why now?

Here’s why it’s so important to consider climate change now:

• Some climate change is now considered inevitable and new weather patterns are already emerging across the globe.
• These are long-term developments likely to require long-term solutions. You will need to allow time to plan, resource and implement your responses.
• The next few years are critical if we are to avoid irreversable damage to the planet. Every organisation needs to decide what it can do to act responsibly and help prevent climate chaos.