Understanding Environmental NGOs’ Inclusiveness

A Comparative Analysis of Two Australian Climate Action Groups

Bibliographic Data

ID6443837
AuthorsPatrick Chang (0009-0002-6668-0814, Griffith University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume16
Issue4
Pages603-625
Publication date2024-08-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNonprofit Policy Forum (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2154-3348 • E-ISSN: 2194-6035
PublisherDe Gruyter (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/npf-2024-0010
OpenAlexW4402048225
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited63

It is a perennial challenge for different political organisations, including environmental NGOs (ENGOs), to accommodate diverse social and political groups’ interests, opinions, and experiences. Without sufficient inclusiveness, ENGOs struggle to help create social and political change at a much faster pace, with climate action in Australia being a key example. In this regard, this paper argues that inclusiveness needs to encompass three dimensions, diversity, equity, and procedural justice, which are critical to managing internal tensions, disagreements, and conflicts. Evidence from two different ENGOs, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and Extinction Rebellion Australia (XR Aus), shows that despite different types of organisational structures and resource availability, there are different challenges and opportunities for the two ENGOs in trying to establish and maintain higher inclusiveness. While diversity remains challenging to both groups, XR Aus’s self-organising and decentralisation have much easier access to decision-making and autonomous participation than ACF. However, it remains to be seen if XR Aus could harass its organising features to establish and maintain a higher level of procedural justice. These findings are relevant not only to issues in climate action problems but also to other collective action problems such as ethnics equality, domestic violence, income disparity, and gun control

Action (physics · Climate change · Climate justice · Collective action · Diversity (politics · Equity (law · Geography · Pace · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social equality · Gender Politics and Representation · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Administration · Religion, Society, and Development · Ecology

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