Big Green Match Fund raises £4m for climate challenges

Launched in time for Earth Day 2023, the platform focused on issues surrounding water, endangered species, and conservation of UK green spaces.

The fundraising campaign essentially looked to encourage public donations with the promise of Big Give match funding contributions. A target for this was set at £4m, a figure that was exceeded with funds eventually reaching £4,349,305.

That number is particularly impressive given the overall lack of support for environmental charities in Britain, with just 7% of total national ‘giving’ going to bodies working in this field. By comparison, the leading causes in terms of public support are animal welfare, children’s protection and rights, medical research and religious organisations. 

Recipient organisations include Pipal Tree, Bees for Development Trust, Global Feedback, Gwent Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Project Seagrass, Heal Rewilding, Space for Giants, The Earth Community Trust, Trees for Cities and WWF-UK.

‘More than ever the charities looking after the planet and everything that it offers and provides us humans are under threat. With funding cuts and the cost of living crisis biting into their budgets, this year’s campaign will make a huge difference to so many good causes whether it’s keeping our oceans and rivers clean, to saving our green spaces from rash development or supporting endangered species,’ said Alex Day, Managing Director of Big Give.

Funding for climate-related work was identified as a priority in both the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change and Climate Change Committee’s recent reports, which urgent central governments to increase budgets, and called on the private sector to allocate more budget to this field, in a bid to speed up progress, 

More on climate funding:

England’s 1/3 active travel budget cuts leave ‘net zero in tatters’

Over 200 London businesses to get support to reduce emissions

Environment charity allows firms to support frontline conservation projects