The vast majority of UK adults believe that charities have a responsibility to be environmentally sustainable, according to new research.
Some 13 large charities including Alzheimer’s Research UK, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Macmillan Cancer Support and Mind surveyed the public to find out what role it feels the charity sector should play in sustainability.
Almost eight in 10 respondents said that charities have a responsibility to be environmentally sustainable.
A similar proportion said environmental sustainability is important for a charity when carrying out its core purpose activities.
Some four in 10 respondents said they would be more likely to donate to a charity if they heard that it invested funds into operating more sustainably.
Nearly 40% said they thought charities had the same environmental responsibilities as companies.
Almost eight in 10 said that environmental sustainability is important for a charity when running its shops, events and fundraising.
‘Our ambition is to be operationally leading on environmental sustainability’
The survey, conducted by business consultancy Yonder Consulting in September 2023, received responses from a nationally representative sample of 4,137 people.
CRUK said the findings, coupled with a materiality study it conducted with SLR Corporate Citizenship in 2022, “reinforce our view that being an environmentally sustainable organisation helps us to beat cancer”.
“We believe that what’s good for the planet is also good for our health, and vice versa.
“Our supporters feel the same, and working towards our environmental sustainable strategy objectives will help us meet their expectations.”
Angela Morrison, CRUK’s chief operating officer said: “The results of the survey give a valuable insight from charity supporters and the wider public into the role they feel charities should play in sustainability, including that almost eight in 10 of people surveyed believe charities have a responsibility to be environmentally sustainable.
“Our ambition is to be operationally leading on environmental sustainability in the UK charity sector, whilst achieving our mission to beat cancer and our newly published strategy lays out how we’ll get there.
“The findings of the survey help demonstrate how important sustainability is to our supporters, and working towards our objectives in the strategy will help us meet their expectations.”
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