The Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge is a campaign to increase pay equity for staff at environmental organizations. Organizations that take the pledge demonstrate a commitment to anti-discrimination and equal opportunity for all to your staff, funders, potential job applicants, other environmental nonprofits, and the public.Â
Research demonstrates existing wage gaps mean that women and people of color make significantly less than their peers. Environmental organizations cannot create an equitable and effective sector if they are paying any staff less, regardless of their identity.
Benefits of being a participant in the Pay Equity Pledge:
- It will demonstrate that your organization is committed to pay equity, merit/fairness, anti-discrimination, and equal opportunity for all staff.Â
- It will strengthen retention of employees. Research demonstrates that pay equity is impactful in an employee's decision to remain at their organization.Â
- It supports a healthier organizational culture and reinforces trust, as equitable compensation is closely connected to employees’ perceptions of whether an organization is fair and whether their contributions are valued.
- It attracts employees who have a wide range of experiences, expertise, and talents, which benefits organizations because a diverse workforce leads to improved organizational performance, encourages innovation, and brings in stronger financial returns.
The Pledge
Our organization is committed to incorporating pay equity practices and policies throughout our organization. We commit to:
- Conducting a pay equity audit, analyzing differences in compensation regarding race, ethnicity, and gender, and remediating any disparities we find.
- Incorporating pay equity best practices into our organizational processes.
Pledge Commitment
Commit to beginning Level 1 within 6 months.
Level 1: Conduct a pay audit, analyze data from the audit, and remediate any disparities.
Level 2: Implement pay equity best practices.
Level 3: Implement pay equity best practices throughout organizational culture and policies.
See the Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge Overview for additional information and instructions.
Perspectives from Pay Equity Pledgees
Because we are mission-driven organizations, we really want our practices, our structures to align with our values, and pay equity is one of the places that we get to do that and really live those values.
Tammi Burnett
Director, People and Culture, Rainforest Action Network
We signed the Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge at its highest level because our commitment to equity is evident in both our values and our actions. We are committed to closing racial and gender pay gaps, strengthening equitable compensation practices, and ensuring people of color, especially women of color, are justly compensated, meaningfully valued, and genuinely empowered to grow, thrive, and lead. Our credibility as a climate movement depends on the change we champion and on our willingness to embody it.
Melody Thomas Snowden
HR Director, People and Culture, The Climate & Clean Energy Equity Fund
FAQS
Q: Who can take the pledge?
Environmental organizations can take the pledge. In order to register your organization for the pledge, you must have sign-on approval.
Q: Is there a time limit on when my organization can sign-up?
No, while we’d argue the sooner you rectify pay inequity, the better, there is no time limit on when your organization can register.
Q: Do you offer services to analyze pay?
We do not offer consulting services to conduct pay audits, but when you sign on to take the pledge you will receive guidance and resources to help you navigate this process.
Q: How do organizations report progress to Green 2.0?
When your organization takes the pledge, you will receive the Pay Equity Pledge Guide. This guide will contain links to forms to complete each level. When your organization finishes each level, you will have to fill out a brief form reporting progress to Green 2.0. These forms will only ask big picture questions, such as what your organization learned from the process, and will NOT ask your organization to share any data or specific numbers.
Questions?
Contact payequity@greentwopointzero.org