The environmental sector continues to face significant challenges around racial representation and equitable leadership pathways. Despite increasing awareness about diversity and inclusion, leadership roles within environmental organisations still do not reflect the diversity of wider society.

To help address this systemic challenge, Common Purpose and Makani Cambridge have launched Natural Catalysts, a transformative 12-month leadership programme designed to reshape how leadership is understood, accessed, practised, and sustained across the environmental sector.

Applications are now open for the Natural Catalysts Programme 2026, an initiative specifically created to support Global Majority Leaders and Senior Leaders working together to create lasting systemic change.

The programme aims to build more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable leadership pathways across environmental organisations in the UK.

What Is the Natural Catalysts Programme?

Natural Catalysts is a leadership development initiative focused on:

• Racial equity
• Leadership transformation
• Organisational change
• Systems thinking
• Inclusive environmental leadership

The programme is delivered through a partnership between:

• Common Purpose
• Makani Cambridge

It is supported by:

• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Unlike many leadership initiatives that focus solely on individual career progression, Natural Catalysts adopts an ecosystem approach.

This means the programme seeks to influence:

• Individuals
• Organisations
• Leadership structures
• Sector-wide systems
• Organisational culture
• Access to power and decision-making

The programme was developed following a year-long research and co-design process involving:

• Global Majority Leaders
• Senior Leaders
• Environmental organisations
• Equity practitioners
• Community stakeholders

Why the Natural Catalysts Programme Matters

The environmental sector has historically struggled with racial representation in leadership positions.

According to the programme organisers, the issue is not simply about talent shortages or recruitment pipelines. Instead, it is deeply connected to:

• How leadership is defined
• How opportunities are distributed
• Organisational power structures
• Informal access to networks
• Visibility and sponsorship
• Systemic inequities

Natural Catalysts seeks to challenge and transform these structures.

The programme recognises that meaningful and lasting change requires:

• Organisational commitment
• Shared accountability
• Cross-level collaboration
• Honest conversations about race and power
• Structural change beyond symbolic representation

Programme Vision and Goals

Natural Catalysts is designed to:

• Increase equitable leadership opportunities
• Support Global Majority Leaders
• Encourage institutional accountability
• Shift leadership culture in the environmental sector
• Build long-term systemic change

The programme aims to move organisations:

• From representation to access and influence
• From mentoring to sponsorship and visibility
• From individual progression to collective transformation

Who Can Apply?

Natural Catalysts is open to organisations operating within the environmental sector.

Organisations are invited to nominate a “duo” of participants who will complete the programme together.

Required Participant Structure

1. Global Majority Leader

The nominated Global Majority Leader must:

• Be in a paid role
• Have lived experience of racialisation in the UK
• Identify within communities racialised as Black, Asian, Brown, or Arab in the UK context
• Be operating at mid-management level or above
• Be navigating leadership pathways within the environmental sector

2. Senior Leader

The Senior Leader must:

• Be in a paid senior role
• Hold significant decision-making power
• Influence organisational direction
• Be part of senior management or executive leadership

Examples may include:

• CEOs
• Directors
• Senior Management Team members
• Executive leaders

The organisers emphasise that leadership titles may vary across organisations. What matters most is:

• Influence
• Strategic authority
• Organisational decision-making power

Important Participation Rule

A Global Majority Leader cannot participate without senior leadership involvement.

However:

• A Senior Leader may participate independently if their organisation does not currently employ a Global Majority Leader.

This structure is intentional because the programme seeks to create organisational change rather than focusing only on individual leadership development.

Additional Participation Opportunity for HR and DEI Professionals

Organisations may also nominate professionals from:

• Human Resources (HR)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
• Learning and Development (L&D)

These participants will join a dedicated:

• Community of Practice

This additional track helps organisations embed learning into policies, systems, and workplace culture.

What Participants Will Learn

The programme explores critical themes around:

• Leadership
• Race
• Power
• Equity
• Organisational systems
• Community-centred change

Participants will:

• Deepen understanding of power structures
• Explore leadership beyond hierarchy
• Learn across lived experiences and roles
• Build supportive professional communities
• Strengthen organisational influence
• Reflect on accountability and responsibility
• Develop sustainable leadership practices

Programme Structure

Natural Catalysts is a 12-month programme involving:

• 40 participants total
• 20 Global Majority Leaders
• 20 Senior Leaders

The programme combines:

• In-person residential learning
• Online sessions
• Peer communities
• Collaborative reflection
• Leadership development
• Systems-change approaches

Programme Components

1. Online Onboarding Session

The programme begins with a:

• Two-hour online onboarding session

Participants will:

• Build initial connections
• Understand programme expectations
• Explore themes of leadership and systemic change

2. Global Majority Leaders Track

This specialised leadership track includes:

In-Person Residential

• Three-day residential gathering
• Community-building activities
• Leadership reflection
• Collective learning experiences

Community of Practice

• Ten one-hour sessions
• Peer support and collaborative learning
• Shared reflection and sense-making

3. Senior Leaders Track

Senior leaders will engage in:

• Organisational leadership reflection
• Power and accountability discussions
• Influence and systems-change learning
• Cross-sector collaboration

4. Joint Learning Track

Participants from different leadership levels will learn together through:

• Shared discussions
• Collaborative exercises
• Organisational change exploration
• Leadership practice reflection

5. HR, DEI, and Leadership Professionals Track

This specialised track supports organisational professionals responsible for:

• Workplace culture
• Equity systems
• Inclusion practices
• Leadership development frameworks

6. Final In-Person Gathering

The programme concludes with a:

• 24-hour residential gathering

Participants will:

• Reflect on learning outcomes
• Share organisational insights
• Discuss change implementation
• Celebrate programme completion

Time Commitment

The programme requires meaningful participation and organisational engagement.

Global Majority Leaders

• 4 in-person days
• 18 hours online

Senior Leaders

• 20 hours online
• 1 in-person day
• Shadowing and visibility commitments

HR/DEI Participants

• 4 hours online

The organisers emphasise that this programme is intended to influence participants’ work directly rather than exist alongside it as a separate activity.

Benefits of Participating

Natural Catalysts offers extensive personal, professional, and organisational benefits.

Leadership Development

Participants strengthen:

• Strategic leadership skills
• Systems thinking
• Cross-boundary leadership
• Organisational influence

Networking and Community

Participants gain:

• Access to supportive peer networks
• Cross-sector relationships
• Collaborative learning communities

Organisational Impact

Organisations benefit from:

• More inclusive leadership practices
• Stronger equity frameworks
• Improved representation pathways
• Enhanced organisational reflection

Exposure and Visibility

Participants gain:

• Increased visibility
• Sponsorship opportunities
• Access to influential spaces and networks

Sector-Wide Transformation

The programme contributes to:

• More equitable environmental leadership
• Sustainable systems change
• Greater racial representation in leadership roles

Cost and Financial Support

Programme Fee

• £500 for organisations able to pay

Bursaries

Bursaries are available.

The organisers state clearly that:

• Financial limitations should not prevent organisations from applying.

Information Webinar

An information webinar will be held for interested applicants.

Webinar Details

• Date: 23 June 2026
• Time: 12:00–13:00 BST
• Platform: Zoom

The webinar will provide:

• Programme insights
• Application guidance
• Opportunity for questions and discussion

About the Organising Partners

Common Purpose

Common Purpose is an international leadership development organisation founded in 1989.

The organisation:

• Operates in over 100 cities worldwide
• Has over 130,000 alumni globally
• Focuses on cross-boundary leadership development
• Supports collaborative problem-solving across sectors

Makani Cambridge

Makani Cambridge CIC is a community-rooted organisation focused on:

• Racial equity
• Leadership
• Collective care
• Community-led systems change

Since 2024, Makani has:

• Delivered more than 70 programmes and events
• Reached over 1,000 participants across the UK

Their work centres:

• Lived experience
• Community-rooted learning
• Equity-focused systems change

Deadline for Applications

Midnight UK Time, Sunday 12 July 2026

How to Apply

Interested organisations can learn more and apply through the official Common Purpose platform.

Apply Here

Final Thoughts

The Natural Catalysts Programme represents a significant effort to address long-standing inequities in environmental leadership by moving beyond surface-level diversity initiatives toward meaningful structural change.

Through collaboration between Global Majority Leaders, Senior Leaders, and organisational professionals, the programme seeks to transform how leadership is practised and sustained across the environmental sector.

For organisations committed to racial equity, inclusive leadership, and systems transformation, Natural Catalysts offers a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the realities of power, representation, and organisational change while building lasting networks and practical leadership capacity.

For more information, visit the official website

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