More than 30 grant-makers have now committed to tackling climate change in their work.
In November, 14 funders announced they had signed up to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change, which commits them to examining how they can use their investments, operations and funding programmes to contribute to a post-carbon economy.
A statement released this week said the number of signatories had risen to 33, with organisations of varying sizes, including Comic Relief, Power to Change and the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, giving their backing to the pledge.
Comic Relief said in December that it had stopped investing in companies whose primary function was to extract or manufacture fossil fuels.
When the initiative was first announced the 14 funders that signed up to the pledge included the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the environmental funder Arcadia.
The funder commitment includes six pledges: to educate stakeholders, staff and trustees on the causes and solutions of climate change; to push forward work that addresses the causes and impact of climate change; to work with existing programmes that positively address climate change; to address the risk of climate change investments; to improve the charity’s carbon footprint; and to report annually on the progress of those five goals.
Charities that have recently signed up to the funders commitment also include the Blagrave Trust, the Heathrow Community Trust, the David Brownlow Charitable Foundation, the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation, World Habitat and the Samworth Foundation.