What are ReportOUT doing?
Our Sustainability Commitment
According to the latest IPCC report, there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” Despite progress in policies and legislation around climate mitigation since the previous such report in 2014, it’s “likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century."
In particular, ReportOUT believe that climate change is a risk multiplier. It intersects with existing community vulnerabilities, and risk factors, to multiply the challenges they face in the Climate Emergency. How severely a person or group will be affected by the climate crisis will depend directly on their degree of exposure, but also indirectly on their social resiliency – that is, how well they can protect themselves from, and respond to, climate events such as temperature increases, extreme weather, or a scarcity of resources.
Young people who are sexual and gender minorities are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. This is due to a number of factors, including discrimination, lack of family support, and economic hardship. The Climate Emergency is exacerbating the problem of homelessness for young people who are sexual and gender minorities, as rising sea levels and extreme weather events are displacing people from their homes.
As ReportOUT is a global human rights organisation for sexual and gender minorities, we believe we need to walk the talk and play our role in limiting our contributions to climate change to protect some of the worlds' most vulnerable populations.
Please find our Green in the Rainbow Report here which aims to cast light on how a changing climate represents a risk magnifier for sexual and gender minorities, and to offer some hopeful solutions to engage with sexual and gender minorities, so we can ensure that 'no one is left behind.'
Our commitment:
ReportOUT has signed the Queer X Climate Pledge, which shows our commitment to calculate and significantly reduce our yearly carbon footprint by 2030. There are five steps proposed by Queer X Climate:
In addition, ReportOUT remains committed to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals through our SDG Commitment.
Environmental:
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100% compliance with environmental guidelines in your industry.
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Become carbon neutral by 2030.
Social:
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100% compliance with paying living wages and eliminating child labour.
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100% compliance with the Modern Slavery Act.
Governance:
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100% compliance with regulations and applicable laws.
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100% compliance with terms for anti-bribery and anti-money laundering.
How we plan to get there:
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Set ambitious emissions reduction goals. The first step is to set ambitious emissions reduction goals. This will help to focus ReportOUT’s efforts and ensure that it is making progress.
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Understand our current emissions. Before we can start reducing emissions, we need to understand your current emissions. This can be done by conducting an emissions inventory.
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Identify opportunities for emission reductions. Once we know our current emissions, we can start to identify opportunities for emission reductions. There are many ways to reduce emissions, and the best approach will vary depending on ReportOUT’s specific circumstances.
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Implement emission reduction measures. Once we have identified opportunities for emission reductions, we need to implement the necessary measures. This may involve changing our operations, investing in new technologies, or changing our supply chain.
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Measure and report your progress. It is important to measure and report our progress on emission reductions. This will help us track our progress and ensure we are on track to meet our goals.
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Continue to improve. Once we have implemented emission reduction measures, we should continue to look for ways to improve. There is always more to be done to reduce emissions, and we should never be complacent.
Divesting from fossil fuels:
The burning of fossil fuels is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, causing the planet to warm. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global emissions from fuel combustion were dominated by coal (45%), followed by oil (32%) and natural gas (22%).
The transition to renewable energy is already underway. The cost of renewable energy has fallen dramatically in recent years, making it a more affordable option than fossil fuels. According to the IEA’s report (Renewables 2022), the Global renewable power capacity is expected to grow by 2 400 gigawatts (GW) over 2022-2027.
Investing in fossil fuels is a risky investment. The fossil fuel industry faces increasing challenges, such as the transition to renewable energy and the threat of climate change regulation. According to a study, fossil fuel reserves will suffer a devaluation of 37%–50%, amounting to $13-$17 trillion.
What are we doing at ReportOUT?
As such, ReportOUT has signed the Fossil-Fuel Future Agreement with NCVO. Under this agreement, it implies:
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Divesting our investments away from fossil fuels.
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Following the principles of the fossil-free investment agreement.
ReportOUT as an organisation will also adhere to the following:
Confirm – no investments in fossil fuels
Confirm your charity has no fossil fuel investments and commits to not investing in fossil fuels in future. (Note that as of today, ReportOut has no investments in fossil fuel-related organisations)
Acknowledge – the impact of climate change
Acknowledge that the disastrous impact of climate change will be widespread and will likely widen social inequality. (This will be done through our website and social media channels)
Support - growing voluntary sector commitment
Support the increasing number of organisations committing to divest from these corporations in some way.
We decided to follow the principles of the fossil-free investment agreement as it shows a clear message that we are committed to addressing climate change and helping to create a more sustainable future. For any queries or if you wish to find out more, feel free to contact us.