With just a week to go, the Guardian and Observer charity appeal in support of causes tackling the impact of the climate crisis and extreme weather has raised more than £760,000.
More than 7,000 people have so far donated to the appeal, which will be shared between four charities: Practical Action, Global Greengrants Fund UK, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and Environmental Justice Foundation.
The theme this year is climate justice, inspired by stories of people and communities uprooted by climate volatility, whether flooding, wildfire, melting ice or drought, and raising money for charities working with those most affected by environmental loss.
The appeal has struck a chord with many readers, who in hundreds of messages left via the appeal donation website told us they believe tackling the climate emergency is one of the most urgent – if not the most urgent – issues facing the planet.
Many said social justice must be at the heart of measures to address global heating – with the world’s wealthiest countries (also the biggest polluters) having a moral responsibility to pay for measures to protect the environment in the world’s poorest areas, which are worst-hit by climate-induced extreme weather.
One donor, Rebecca McCutcheon, said: “Supporting vulnerable people to adapt and protect themselves from the devastating changes happening now is a positive act in the face of shameful inaction on the parts of businesses and governments. In truth it is not a charitable donation but an attempt to invest in our global, shared future.”
Steve Trent, the chief executive of the Environmental Justice Foundation, said: “I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Guardian and Observer readers, their generous donations will enable us to continue our work using high-level advocacy, field investigations and powerful films to drive forward climate justice.”
He added: “Climate action has never been more crucial, and time is running out. Yet we do not need to lose hope: we have the solutions and the wherewithal to implement them. If our governments act now, with greater urgency and ambition, we can achieve a true transformation to an equitable, fairer, sustainable world.”
Introducing the appeal in December, the Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, wrote: “The stark truth is that the world’s developing countries have seen the vast majority of the death and destruction caused by climate-induced disasters, and yet they are responsible for a tiny fraction of global emissions.”
The appeal closes at midnight on Sunday 16 January.
