5 Opportunities For Climate Change Volunteering (UK)

Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of our time, and businesses have a crucial role to play in tackling it. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions from operations and supply chains is hugely important, it's also essential to take proactive steps to address the root causes of climate change.

One of the most impactful ways that companies can take climate action is through skilled volunteering.

By leveraging the unique skills and expertise of their employees, companies can support organisations that are working on the front lines of the climate crisis and have a genuinely meaningful impact outside of just donating money to the cause or having strong carbon literacy.

In this article, we'll cover five different ideas for ways that teams can take climate action through volunteering either remotely or in-person. Whether you're looking to make a difference with wildlife protection and sustainability in your local community, or support global efforts to address climate change, there are plenty of opportunities for your company to make a difference, all while reaping the engagement and employee wellbeing benefits that come from giving back as a team.

Teaching Children About Climate Change

Help to develop interest in the climate emergency, and inspire action amongst the youth in your local community by getting involved with an organisation running workshops in London primary schools!

There are multiple organisations looking for help from corporate volunteers that can commit anything from 1 hour upwards during school hours, allowing them to scale their operation and help the next generation get involved in the fight against climate change.

This is a great option for any volunteer wanting to have a more tangible impact in-person, and those who are passionate about the cause and enjoy getting out of the office and engaging with children. If you're interested volunteering opportunities for your team in schools near you, shoot us an email at hello@wearematchable.com for more info on our platform which has 1000s of skilled volunteer projects like these across the UK and globally.

Give Marketing Advice To Conservation Charities Protecting The Environment

If you're team are passionate about environmental conservation, and protecting endangered animals, then this could be a really popular volunteering option with your employees!

There are 1000s of different remote, skills-based volunteer projects like these available through impact tools like Matchable, where different teams within your business can find nonprofits looking for their expertise specifically to help their cause.

One popular choice among content, marketing, and communication teams (or just younger workforces with a strong understanding of social media) is providing digital marketing support to resource poor charities across the UK that can't afford to hire expert help.

Innovative organisations like Resting Reef for example, who are helping to regenerate marine ecosystems and coral reefs through eco-burials, have partnered with us to find skilled corporate volunteers that can help them to review their SEO, or create written content. This also provides an opportunity for individuals to gain experience in a new industry and further develop their marketing knowledge for a good cause.

Take Climate Action Using NFTs

With the emergence of blockchain technology, and thanks to the popularisation of crypto currencies and NFTs, there are now new and more modern ways to monetise causes like reforestation or carbon reduction!

If you're searching for a more out-of-the-box idea for climate change team volunteering opportunities, and especially if you work in a tech company or have a large development team, then this approach could help you create some serious positive impact in the world!

There are many impact startups in the blockchain world now starting to partner with corporates who can supply skilled volunteers to help them to develop their offering from the ground up and promote their product in order to help fight climate change. It's a win-win situation! Your team get a 'feel-good' opportunity to help fight deforestation or protect an environment, and the org gets some much needed man power to help them to scale.

Organise a Beach Clean Up

Often, taking the steps to reduce your personal carbon footprint and make more sustainable choices can seem like too small of a change to create real positive impact on our future climate. But research has shown that coming together to volunteer as a team for a shared good cause can help employees to feel more valued + fulfilled at work, and develop stronger relationships with their colleagues.

One idea, that is especially appealing in the summer months, is getting out for a few hours as a group for a clean up of a local UK beach in order to reduce pollution and prevent damage to nature from human activity.

You can usually find local beach clean up charities in most coastal towns in the UK that are always keen to find bigger teams to volunteer. Alternatively, you could organise your own litter picking events periodically throughout the year...

Help to Develop an Environmental Policy for a Charity

Another unique way in which your team can give back is by helping registered charities to develop their internal policies (or by giving more in-depth legal advice). By helping organisations with this, you can ensure they uphold the same environmental and sustainability standards as their work and missions do.

Employees can participate in brainstorming sessions and discussions to generate ideas and strategies for the policy. Additionally, employees can conduct research on best practices and regulations related to environmental sustainability to ensure that the policy is comprehensive and effective. When they volunteer in this capacity, employees can make a meaningful impact on the charity's commitment to environmental stewardship and help create a positive change in their community, all online from the comfort of their desk.

On the Matchable platform, we have various nonprofits looking for assistance with this kind of policy writing. One particular innovative organisation is helping to give nomadic herders in the cashmere farming industry a voice, and are working to create a more sustainable, fair fashion industry.

If this sounds like the kind of high-impact volunteer project you're looking for, then you can book in a demo of the platform here.

Joining The Fight Against Climate Change Has Never Been Easier

Skills-based, remote volunteering projects like those covered in this article are redefining what it means volunteer through your work.

By offering up your individual skill sets (even just for 30 minutes) charities are able to access a previously untapped pool of talent with a huge range of expertises. As a business, you are able to provide your team with not only highly impactful ways to make a difference in the climate emergency, but also genuinely engaging and unique ways to do so!

In short, whether you're looking to protect your local nature's biodiversity, improve your team's carbon literacy, or support the growth of clean energy sectors, remote volunteering is making giving back to these causes accessible to all, and works around busy employee schedules.