Climate Philanthropy Was Built Around English. This New Climate Cardinals Report Explores the Consequences.
New York, NY – June 5, 2026 – In recognition of World Environment Day, Climate Cardinals announces the release of its newest whitepaper, Building Language Justice into Climate Philanthropy: A Roadmap to Ensure Climate Resilience for All, exploring how English-dominant funding systems continue to shape who gets funded, who participates, and which climate solutions are able to scale.
Drawing on interviews with organizations including the Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation, TINTA, and IPAS Fund, the report argues that climate philanthropy still overwhelmingly favors English-speaking organizations, even though 6.5 billion people do not speak English and frontline organizations often hold the deepest local expertise and community trust.
“Climate change is a global crisis that requires global solutions,” said Executive Director Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa. “If language barriers continue, the world risks excluding the local knowledge and community perspectives needed for effective climate action.”
“Language access is not just a question of inclusion. It is a question of effectiveness,” said Research Director Jackie Vandermel. “This report offers practical steps for philanthropy to better support organizations serving the 6.5 billion non-English speakers worldwide.”
Key recommendations include:
Allocating dedicated translation and interpretation funding within grantmaking portfolios
Expanding multilingual grantmaking, reporting, and mentorship systems
Hiring multilingual regional staff and strengthening understanding of local contexts in grantmaking processes
Supporting oral, video, and alternative application and reporting formats beyond written English
Partnering with intermediary organizations and regional capacity-building hubs with local expertise
The whitepaper was authored by Climate Cardinals’ Research Team, including Emma Somos, Enya Fang, Isabela Valencia, Issabella Romo, Jackie Vandermel, Laghima Pal, Maira Elahi, and Marine Gapihan.
Download the whitepaper here and register for a live briefing on Wednesday, July 15 at 10 AM EST here.
About Climate Cardinals
With a network of 19,000+ volunteers across 145 countries, Climate Cardinals breaks the language barrier in the climate sector so every community can take action and protect their future. In under six years, Climate Cardinals won TED Countdown’s Global Ideas Contest, including a founding team with accolades including Forbes 30 Under 30, Grist 50, and National Geographic’s Young Explorers List. From its origins as a $500 student-led initiative to a seven-figure organization cited by scientific publications, UN agencies, and government bodies, Climate Cardinals is redefining how climate information is distributed and who has the power to use it.
Press Inquiries:
Jackie Vandermel, Research Director — [email protected]
