Climate volunteer roles

Following the success of the 2025 Council Climate Action Scorecards last year, Climate Emergency UK is looking to create the third edition of the Action Scorecards. Analysing council climate action only becomes valuable if you track the progress that has been made. Therefore, we are looking for volunteers to assist us in managing the Freedom of Information (FOI) requests we are sending to councils to answer some of the Scorecard questions.

Why are we doing this?

We’re in a climate and ecological crisis and local councils have the power and influence over around 30% of emissions in their local area. Councils are uniquely placed to make a real impact on emissions within their area. We know that councils are listening to the Scorecards results and taking more effective action. The average score in the 2025 Action Scorecards increased by 7 percent points. The Scorecards are a campaigning tool that residents can use to hold their council to account on their climate action, and lobby for specific, targeted change. We have also found evidence of 34% councils using and referencing the Scorecards in committee meetings, reports or in their own press releases and organisations across the sector are utilising the data from the Scorecards as well. Finally, this UK wide assessment will demonstrate where the UK and devolved governments need to provide more support to local authorities in order for them to take even further action.

How can you help?

We need at least 200 volunteers to pull this project off! We are sending councils a small number of FOI requests in order to answer some of the Scorecard questions. We have already written the FOI requests, and we need volunteers to manage the FOI request responses from all 400 councils and input their answers into our Scorecards. 

What experience do I need?

We will provide training so you don’t need any experience. If you have previous experience of sending FOI requests using WhatDoTheyKnow or reading responses to FOI requests that would be useful but not necessary in order to apply.

What will I gain?

This is a great opportunity if you want to work with FOI/EIR requests in the future. As you’ll be processing a variety of FOI requests from different council types across the UK, you will gain a deep understanding of the FOI request process and strengthen your analytical skills as you read and interpret the responses. By helping with this project you will be making a real contribution to the fight against the climate crisis.

What we need from you

You will need to be available to attend the following sessions:

• Volunteer induction
  You will only need to attend an induction session on either Tuesday 19th May or Thursday 21st May 2026.

• FOI Training
  You will need to attend the training session on 26th May 2026 from 5:30-7:30pm.

Scorecard FOI requests volunteers will be carrying out crucial tasks to manage the thousands of FOI responses we will be submitting. Using WhatDoTheyKnow you will be logging whether a council has responded to an FOI request and extracting the answers to create a data set of answers that will be used to mark councils in the Scorecards. Every volunteer will be trained and supported to manage the FOI responses.

Each FOI request will take between 10-30 minutes to classify and extract responses and the more you do, the quicker you will become. This can be done flexibly according to your scheduling needs. Our core FOI volunteers should be able to give 10 hours per week for 5 weeks between 25th May 2026 and 19th June 2026. You will need access to a laptop or computer with good internet for this volunteer position in order to access WhatDoTheyKnow.

Note: We will not accept current Councillors or Officers (Parish/Town councillors/officers are free to apply). 

How it works

• You will receive training on how to use WhatDoTheyKnow and manage the FOI responses.

• You will use WhatDoTheyKnow Projects to first classify and then extract information from FOI requests as we receive responses from councils across the country. 

• You will be supported through online communication with other volunteers across the country.

• You will be supported on Slack so at any point you will be able to ask questions of CE UK staff and other volunteers. There will also be an optional weekly FOI team co-working session, where you can work with CE UK staff and other volunteers, ask questions and get to know the other volunteers.

We’re looking for full stack developers to help us create a ground-breaking web app that promotes sustainable living and climate action.

You will play a major role in:

• developing the server-side logic;
• ensuring high performance and responsiveness;
• ensuring front-end optimization;
• designing and maintaining database schemas.  

What are we looking for?

Three years web development experience with working knowledge of Python and, preferably Django framework.  Ability to:

• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code that powers the application's back-end logic;
• Integrate user-facing elements;
• Optimize components for maximum performance & scalability;
• Build & maintain reusable component libraries to ensure consistency.

Preferably with PWA experience. 

What difference will you make?

You will play a key role in delivering this innovative app and in ensuring it reduces carbon footprints, and, inspires and enables sustainable action across the population.

You will be at the forefront of bringing climate action into people’s homes across the UK, making sustainable living accessible and appealing to everyone – and driving real environmental impact.

Your expertise and experience could be vital to delivering our ground-breaking climate action and sustainability E-Save app. We're looking for UK-based people for a range of communications, marketing and multi-media roles.

What will you be doing?

You will join a team helping to launch and promote the E‑Save climate‑action app and improving its content and user experience. 

By supporting creative campaigns, you will also help the team raise the profile of Eco Centre, and support local outreach initiatives, volunteer recruitment and communications, and stakeholder engagement. 

Your work will help people discover and use the app to take practical climate action at home.

What are we looking for?

We are building a team with a range of skills and experience who can provide hands on help on regular basis and be responsive to changing needs.

We’re looking for volunteers with skills in writing, design, graphics video, social media, campaigning, web content, or marketing. Whether you’re experienced or building your portfolio, we welcome creative, proactive team players who can bring ideas, collaborate well, and help us communicate climate action in engaging and accessible ways.

What difference will you make?

Your support will help the E‑Save app be effective and inspire real climate action in everyday life. By helping shape and promote the app and organisation, you’ll make sustainable living more accessible. 

You will be at the forefront of bringing climate action into people’s homes across the UK, making sustainable living appealing – and driving real environmental impact.

We’re looking for frontend a web developer to help us create a groundbreaking web app that promotes sustainable living.

You will play a major role in implementing a series of design upgrades to improve the UX and ensure accessibility, browser compatibility and web standards. Your main task will be to convert design ideas into responsive HTML/CSS components.

What are we looking for?

UK based developers with experience of translating design files into clean, semantic HTML/CSS code and establishing component-based architecture. Ability to:

• Convert design mockups/wireframes into responsive HTML/CSS components;
• Build & maintain reusable component libraries to ensure consistency
• Collaborate with designers & developers to translate visual designs into functional code;
• Optimize components for maximum performance & scalability.

What difference will you make?

You will play a key role in delivering this groundbreaking app and in ensuring it reduces carbon footprints, and inspires and enables sustainable action across the population.

You will be at the forefront of bringing climate action into people’s homes across the UK, making sustainable living accessible and appealing to everyone – and driving real environmental impact.

About Bank.Green

Since the Paris Agreement, global banks have poured a staggering $7.9 trillion into the fossil fuel industry. Bank.Green exists to change that.

We build tools that help people understand how their bank finances climate change, and what they can do about it, whether that’s switching to genuinely greener alternatives or pushing their existing bank to improve. To date, our bank-checking tool has been used 500,000+ times globally and has helped influence at least £25 million in customer deposits toward banks financing a cleaner future.

Through transparency, technology, and public engagement, we aim to redefine the role of banks in the climate transition.

The Role

We’re looking for an experienced engineer to act as a technical steward for the Bank.Green website, our primary public-facing platform, working alongside another senior engineer already on the project. Technical decisions are made in a collaborative, consensus-driven way, rather than top-down.

The site is transitioning to Astro, with a React-based frontend, and is deployed via Cloudflare. Content is managed via Prismic as a headless CMS, with data coming from internal GraphQL and REST APIs.

The platform serves roughly 5,000 pages, the majority of which are repeatable, programmatically generated bank profile pages built from shared templates and structured data. As a result, performance, caching, SEO, and build efficiency are key concerns.

This is a hands-on but flexible role, suited to someone who enjoys maintaining and improving real-world infrastructure that thousands of people rely on.

What you’d be working on

• Building and shipping new frontend features that improve how users understand and act on bank climate data

• Maintaining and improving the Astro/React codebase with a focus on clarity, performance, and long-term maintainability

• Improving build performance, caching strategy, and CDN efficiency to keep the site fast and cost-effective at scale

• Collaborating on architectural and technical decisions with the other senior engineer

• Reviewing and contributing pull requests, and helping establish sensible frontend and deployment patterns

Ways we work

• Fully remote and asynchronous
• Communication via Slack, Linear, and occasional calls (MS365)
• Pragmatic, low-process, mission-driven team
• Strong bias toward maintainable code and real-world impact

Commitment

This is an unpaid, volunteer role.

• Roughly 7–10 hours per week, flexible
• We’re looking for a longer-term engagement (around 6 months or more) to provide continuity and stewardship

What we’re looking for

• Required: A portfolio, GitHub profile, or equivalent code samples demonstrating real-world frontend or full-stack work
• Experience as a frontend or full-stack engineer at a mid-to-senior level
• Strong JavaScript fundamentals
• Experience with React and modern frontend tooling
• Familiarity with Astro, or strong interest in content-first frameworks (Next.js, Nuxt, Gatsby, etc.)
• Comfort reviewing code and guiding less experienced developers
• Experience working asynchronously with distributed teams
• Familiarity with Git-based workflows and Agile-style tools
• Genuine interest in climate action and environmental accountability

Are you passionate about sustainability? Do you want to make a real impact on household carbon footprints and promote sustainable living? Can you help us crowdsource our innovative E-Save app and outreach programme?

What will you be doing?

To support delivery of the E‑Save app, you’ll help recruit, support and coordinate our growing UK‑based volunteer community. You’ll provide administrative oversight for current volunteers, support ongoing recruitment, and help develop volunteer and HR processes.

 Over time, you’ll contribute to policies, engagement programmes, crowd‑sourcing initiatives, and local pilot volunteers.

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for UK‑based volunteers with experience in HR, volunteer management, or people operations. You’ll help lead volunteer recruitment, onboarding and training; develop HR and volunteer policies; support engagement and wellbeing; and maintain confidential records. 

You’ll need strong organisational and interpersonal skills, knowledge of safeguarding and data protection, and the ability to support a diverse, remote volunteer team.

What difference will you make?

You will lead and/or support the volunteer recruitment and engagement needed to sustain and grow the organisation, and develop the network of experts and contributors that will power E-Save.

You will be at the forefront of innovation, bringing climate action into people’s homes across the UK, making sustainable living part of everyday life.

About Bank.Green Since the Paris Agreement, global banks have poured a staggering $7.9 trillion into the fossil fuel industry. At Bank.Green, our mission is to lower this vast carbon footprint via technology and consumer action. We empower bank customers with the tools and insights they need to influence their banks towards sustainable lending, or switch to greener alternatives. To date, our bank-checking tool has been used over 500,000 times by bank customers worldwide, while we have shifted over $50m towards bank who are financing a greener future.

Through transparency, engagement, and innovation, we aim to redefine the role of banks in the fight against climate change

Role Overview.

As our Director of Content, you will play a vital leadership role in shaping and overseeing our content strategy, ensuring that Bank.Green's messaging is impactful, cohesive, and aligned with our mission. Success in this role means managing a team of social media contributors, ensuring content quotas are met, and maintaining the quality and consistency of our published materials. You’ll oversee various content initiatives, from social media to newsletters and blogs, and provide guidance on ad hoc website content updates. Your work will help amplify our impact, inspire meaningful action from our community, and drive the movement for sustainable banking.

Commitment

This role is currently volunteer-based, and we are seeking a commitment of 5-10 hours per week. We are looking for somebody to join us long-term but are open to shorter-term applicants

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the social media team, ensuring monthly posting quotas are met and content aligns with our overarching strategy.
• Generate and refine content ideas in collaboration with the team to maintain engaging, impactful, and relevant messaging across platforms.
• Copyedit and approve the short monthly newsletter and occasional blog posts produced by the research team.
• Oversee and assist with miscellaneous content-related projects, including updates and improvements to website content.
• Monitor performance metrics across platforms to identify areas for improvement and inform future content strategies.

Desired Skills

• Proven experience in content strategy, editorial leadership, or a similar role.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Experience managing teams or working collaboratively across multiple contributors.
• Familiarity with social media platforms, trends, and best practices.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing needs.
• Basic understanding of climate advocacy or finance (optional but beneficial).

Volunteer Benefits

As a volunteer-driven organization, we are very focused on making all of our opportunities as valuable as possible for our volunteers. In this spirit, we will offer you:

• Opportunities to gain insights into sustainable banking practices and advancements in environmental advocacy through continuous learning.
• The chance to network with other sustainability professionals and advocates, enhancing your professional connections.
• Valuable experience in a critical climate-focused role, which will enhance your resume and skill set.
• Recognition for positive performance with supportive references and recommendations for your future career growth.
• A significant role in driving impactful changes in the banking sector to accelerate a sustainable futu

Oxford Friends of the Earth is looking for a new Coordinator. We are a voluntary group with 1800+ supporters and focus on climate action, nature and climate solutions, clean rivers, air pollution, and transport.  We run events, lobby MPs and councillors, produce reports and we have strong partnerships across Oxfordshire and with national bodies. We have existed since the 1970s and meet as a group monthly in central Oxford.We are part of the Friends of the Earth global network, working to protect and improve our environment locally and nationally.

Our current Coordinator is taking a break: we’d like to find someone who can commit to offering a few hours most weeks and attending our monthly meetings.

This involves:

· Setting up meetings and managing our monthly mailing

· Working with our Campaigns Officer to develop our campaigns

· Working with our social media officer to develop our engagement

· Working with other volunteers on specific campaigns / projects

· Exploring opportunities for us to gain support

· Maintaining our supporter database and being a point of contact for people interested to know more about the group

· Managing and developing our website

· Supporting event planning and management

The post would suit anyone seeking to develop their organisational skills for a career in voluntary and environmental sectors.  We can offer on-the-job and formal training and support for people wishing to get involved, and can pay travel and related expenses.

Do you want to make a real impact on household carbon footprints and promote sustainable living? Join our innovative crowd-sourced app development team and help us make an impact on climate change and the environment.

What will you be doing?

We’re looking for UK‑based volunteers with expertise in assessing and verifying quantified environmental impacts. You’ll work with a small remote team to audit and verify carbon, waste or water savings linked to lifestyle choices, using open‑source data. 

Your research will help develop robust models and frameworks, ensuring the E‑Save app provides accurate, trusted impact data for users.

What are we looking for?

We’re seeking volunteers with experience in assessing or verifying carbon, waste, water or other environmental impacts. 

You’ll audit data sources, verify existing figures, and research gaps. You’ll help develop consistent frameworks, models and tools, and refine methodologies with the team. 

You’ll need a methodical approach, attention to detail, working knowledge of life‑cycle analysis, and the ability to work independently within a remote team.

What difference will you make?

Your insight and expertise in quantifying household carbon and other environmental benefits that are at the heart of the E-Save app.

Your vital contribution will help ensure the app delivers real environmental impacts. 

You will be at the forefront of innovation, bringing climate action into people’s homes across the UK, making sustainable living part of everyday life.

Are you passionate about working for climate and migrant justice?

Would you like to play a key role in the governance of the most exciting student campaign group in the country?

Have you got the experience and skills to support student trustees who lead the organisations?

If so we want to hear from you

Mudland is building the climate knowledge infrastructure needed to translate Indigenous and frontline intelligence into decision-ready formats for policymakers, funders, and global institutions.

Global climate policy and finance systems often overlook the structured, community-defined evidence held by Indigenous and frontline regions. This disconnect leads to adaptation funding that is misaligned with reality, treating vulnerable communities as "beneficiaries" rather than knowledge holders. In high-stakes ecosystems like the Himalayas, climate data is often extracted without being translated into the institutional language needed to influence real-world decision-making.

Mudland bridges this divide through its Climate Lab and the Himalayan Climate Watch Network. We train Indigenous researchers and storytellers to document climate indicators, developing frameworks that weave together Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with modern climate science. By translating local evidence into usable formats for global policy and finance spaces, we ensure that frontline intelligence drives institutional action without being extracted or flattened.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Social Media & Communications Associate to help strengthen Mudland’s digital presence and storytelling across platforms.
The role will support communication around Mudland’s projects, including the Himalayan Climate Watch Network, climate storytelling initiatives, and documentary work connected to the studio.
This is a great opportunity for someone interested in climate communication, media, storytelling, and impact-driven projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Support management of Mudland’s social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Help develop engaging posts, captions, and visual storytelling
• Assist with announcements and communication around Mudland projects
• Support outreach for initiatives such as the HCWN Indigenous Climate Knowledge Fellowship
• Help grow the online community and engagement around Mudland’s work
• Assist in coordinating social media content with partner organisations

Who This Role Is For

We are looking for someone who:
• Has an interest in climate, storytelling, media, or social impact
• Enjoys working with social media and digital communication
• Has a creative eye for visuals and storytelling
• Is organised and comfortable working remotely
• Is proactive and open to experimenting with new ideas
Experience with social media tools or design platforms is helpful but not required.

What You Will Gain

• Experience working with an international storytelling and climate initiative
• Exposure to global conversations around climate, culture, and media
• Opportunities to develop a creative communications portfolio
• Collaboration with journalists, filmmakers, researchers, and climate practitioners

Minimum Hours per Week:

4-6 hours per week

Duration:

3-5 months

Be part of an amazing project to improve connectivity of green habitats around London. Trees are amazing – they capture and store carbon, prevent flooding, reduce heat in summer, reduce pollution, support wildlife and are beautiful too.

The London Tree Ring project aims to involve volunteers in practical tree and hedgerow planting, woodland restocking or related tasks in various locations across London.

Here is your opportunity to get involved - literally at ground level - offering some of your time and by indicating where and when you could assist with one of the many projects happening around London in Spring 2026. Please complete our application which will lead you to the Volunteer Information Request Form, so you can indicate your availability or request more information where some dates have yet to be confirmed.

We'll be back in touch when projects are approaching designated dates.

By becoming a Tree Planting Volunteer with London Tree Ring you'll help with the creation of greener, healthier communities while supporting biodiversity and tackling the challenges of climate change. You'll be part of a friendly and passionate charity and grow local community engagement and support for CPRE.

Green Allotments charity is seeking an appropriately qualified Archaeologist to provide occasional advice.

Our innovative work programme focusses on the purchase of land and the creation of allotments. Hence, we are keen to learn more about how to identify potential heritage issues which could affect the creation of allotments on the top layer of soil. Learning more about how allotments can be sensitively placed within historical environments will help our charity bring allotments to more people.

We are keen to work with you if you can interpret information held in open-data online records such as Historic Environment Records. Your valuable insights will help our charity decide if a tract of land is worth buying for allotments, or should be avoided entirely. 

We are a small and friendly charity team, with three trustees, one staff member, and a team of volunteers. The charity is funded by a generous single donor. Everyone brings something special to Green Allotments, if you think your archaeological experience and knowledge could help our charity to grow please get in touch for an informal discussion.

Your specialist contribution will help our charity make important decisions on land purchase and locations for new allotment sites in communities. Demand for allotment is very high, people are desperate for a plot of their own, to grow food and teach their children about where food comes from. Your support will help put more locally produced food on tables.

Who we are looking for:

• Appropriately qualified Archaeologist to undertake desk-based analysis (e.g. degree-level and/or 3 years+ in archaeological practice).
• Able to undertake desk-based research using Historic Environment Records and/or LiDAR.
• Able to communicate findings in plain language to non-archaeologists.

Our charity is currently creating allotment sites in England only. We can accept volunteers located in any part of the UK, as long as the volunteer appreciates they will be focussing on England-only sites.

Our CEO, Deborah, has been working with home-based geographically dispersed volunteers for 20+ years and is happy to fit around your time commitments.

Application process:

Please apply via our website. When you make contact with us, we will consider your application. If interested in learning more about you, we will invite you to an informal discussion via zoom at a time/date to suit you. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email within one week.

betterSoil is a sustainable start-up and a movement that is passionately committed to the health of our earth's soil.

We are currently losing around 10 million hectares of fertile soil worldwide. That's about 14 million football pitches. However, good soils are the source of more than 90% of our food. At the same time, the world's population will grow to 10 billion people by 2050. Food will therefore become scarce, especially high-quality food, as this depends on the quality of the soil. The effects of climate change are worsening the situation of soils because droughts and extreme rainfall are becoming more severe and more frequent. Current farming methods lead to high CO2 emissions, diseased soils produce low-quality food and biodiversity is rapidly declining, as around half of biodiversity lives in the soil.

Since 2020, betterSoil has been involved at European level, e.g. with an event with the EU Parliament and prominent supporters such as Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Dr Franz Fischler (Former EU Commissioner for Agriculture) and Dr Peter Johnston (European Policy Centre) in a national and international context to improve soil quality for climate resilience and climate protection as well as the promotion of biodiversity and sustainable food production. Our way of working goes far beyond soil consulting. We combine local, indigenous knowledge with the latest science and offer practice-orientated betterSoil recipes for farmers. We also offer individual consultations for companies and organisations of all kinds. In this way, we create a comprehensive awareness of soil health that helps to position

As Newsletter & Blog Content Manager, you’ll shape how betterSoil communicates with its community and partners. Your work will help us reach more people, strengthen our impact, and showcase how soil can change the world.

Key tasks:
• Write and edit engaging blog posts on soil, climate, and sustainable agriculture.
• Create and manage our monthly newsletter (Mailchimp or similar).
• Translate project updates, research, and events into accessible stories.
• Coordinate a content calendar aligned with campaigns and events.
• Coordination with the social media team
• Assist with press releases or media outreach.

What We’re Looking For
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Passion for sustainability, agriculture, or climate action (no need to be a soil expert, but a basic understanding of the topic and a genuine interest in learning more are essential.
• Experience with newsletters, blogging, or content management
• Creativity, reliability, and the ability to work independently in a remote team.

What You’ll Gain
• Be part of an international, mission-driven team reimagining soil as the foundation of a sustainable future.
• Build a portfolio of published content on climate and agriculture.
• Learn about soil, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability strategies.
• Contribute flexibly from anywhere in the world .
• Make a tangible difference in a growing social impact initiative.
• Get recognized for your impact – we’ll provide a written confirmation of your volunteer work in climate action.

Commitment: Flexible, part-time volunteer (approx. 7-9 hrs/week ).

Duration: Minimum 1 year (longer preferred with potential for future paid collaboration as the organization grows).

Compensation: Volunteer (impact-driven role).

Minimum Hours per Week:

7-9 hours per week

Duration:

6+ months