Our mission is to help protect the world from climate change, keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees and restore our relationship with the natural world.
We want to make this difference by using our grants and investments to safeguard our forests, repair damaged soils, connect people with nature, support universal access to clean energy and help make financial investments better benefit nature and our society.
Our Programme Areas
Since the Trust was founded, tackling climate change has and continues to be the Trust’s primary focus. Trustees chose these distinct and inter-connected programmes as they are key in the fight against climate change and transitioning us towards a fair and just low-carbon society.
The Climate Change Collaboration
The Climate Change Collaboration is an initiative comprised of the Ashden Trust and two other Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, the Mark Leonard Trust and JJ Charitable Trust. It funds efforts which help move private and public capital away from polluting corporations to companies that will help achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature rises well below 2 degrees and preferably 1.5 degrees.
Stopping Deforestation
We have funded efforts to stop deforestation across the world since the Trust was set up in 1989; it remains a key target area for the Trust. Our efforts are currently focused on the Amazon and forests within Indonesia and West Papua.
Connecting People with Nature
There is a wealth of evidence which shows that spending time outside in nature has lasting positive effects on our physical and mental health as well as our general well-being. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent to which access to nature differs across our society; those who are most disadvantaged often have less access to, and miss out on the benefits of, natural spaces.
Sustainable Farming
With the UK exiting the European Union, there are huge opportunities for the UK to rethink its agricultural processes and land management. Looking forward, we believe our agriculture could provide healthy, affordable food produced in ways that protect soil health, restore biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change and support thriving communities.
Ashden – climate solutions in action
Each year, we provide unrestricted funding to Ashden – climate solutions in action. This charity was set up by Sarah Butler-Sloss to reward, support and promote sustainable energy innovations to combat climate change and energy poverty.