I am deputy director of Green 2.0 and a Latina. I am also an exception to the rule.

From 2017 to 2020, major environmental organizations added just two people of color and two women to their senior teams, according to Green 2.0's recent Transparency Report findings.

Green 2.0 works to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the environmental movement. We have found that while the environmental sector is working toward achieving diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in its staffing practices, this progress is not happening fast enough.

More people like me deserve opportunities to become leaders in the movement.

Here is what green organizations can do to accelerate DEIJ efforts. These suggestions also apply to the sustainability teams within corporations:

  1. Write intentional job descriptions. Organizations must be intentional and address built-in biases that manifest during the hiring and recruitment process. One first and essential step is to be mindful of how organizations write job descriptions to be holistic and evaluate the whole person's experiences.
  2. Diversify hiring committees. When interviewing candidates, this process shouldn't always be led by a predominantly white senior leadership team. There are definitely biases in place when people are interviewing individuals who don't look like them. To mitigate this, pull folks from all areas of an organization — entry and mid-level up to senior positions — to ensure a diverse array of perspectives are considered.
  3. Mentorship. If you are in a senior or leadership role at a green organization, consider being a mentor to people of color who are starting out or need guidance in their careers. Being mentored by many women of color was instrumental for me.

Read the full article about green organizations advancing diversity by Adriane Alicea at GreenBiz.