Good Law Project supported MPs Layla Moran, Clive Lewis and Caroline Lucas in October 2022 to identify the foundation’s apparent breaches of charity rules.
Part of the network of radical rightwing organisations based at Tufton Street who don’t disclose their donors – it has spent several hundred thousand pounds on one-sided research that denies the climate crisis. The foundation has also invested in a non-charitable subsidiary, Net Zero Watch, which pushes the same stance on climate change.
This flies in the face of rules that state the outputs from educational charities must be “balanced and neutral”.
As the months have rolled by, the MPs have repeatedly asked for updates from the commission, but they haven’t received any substantive response. The foundation even reported itself to the commission after accepting it was facing a “serious incident” in January 2023 – but the commission did little more than confirm receipt of the report.
The failure goes hand in hand with the regulator’s rush to dismiss a complaint against the Institute of Economic Affairs – another Tufton Street think-tank which has come under fire for flouting charity rules – for pushing biased and selective views. In response to the complaint the regulator changed the rules that the charity was accused of breaking the day after receiving our complaint.
Charities should be run for the good of us all and abide by Charity Law. It’s time to hold the Charity Commission to account for failing to regulate those who breach charity law and abuse their charity status.
If you can help us hold the regulator to account, and stop the spread of climate misinformation, you can donate here