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Case Update

Global Warming Policy Foundation reports itself to the Charity Commission following MPs’ complaint

25th January 2023

Following a complaint raised by a cross-party group of MPs working with Good Law Project, the climate change promoting ‘charity’, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), has been forced to make a Serious Incident Report to the Charity Commission. GWPF is based at 55 Tufton Street, the home of dark funding, astroturfing and opaque influence.

Imageplotter / Alamy Stock Photo

Charities have a responsibility to report serious incidents, where significant harm has been, or could be, caused to their beneficiaries, staff, volunteers and stakeholders. The Charity Commission is also alerted in circumstances where charities have lost money or assets, or have seen their property or reputation damaged.

Back in October, Caroline Lucas MP, Layla Moran MP and Clive Lewis MP wrote to the Charity Commission to highlight potential breaches of charity law by GWPF. These included its spending of hundreds of thousands of pounds on one-sided ‘research’, and its financial relationship with the non-charitable subsidiary Net Zero Watch (NZW). 

In response, the Charity Commission confirmed it was reviewing the evidence submitted.

We believe the lobbying efforts of organisations who deny a climate emergency are not charitable activities and should not be subsidised with our taxes. Ensuring the GWPF is investigated is an important further step in our work to shed light on the role dark money plays in our politics and to push for transparency over who really pulls the strings of this Government.

Just last week, 55 Tufton Street-linked Restore Trust caved following a legal challenge brought by our legal manager, Ian Browne, over its use of personal data. The ‘anti-woke’ campaign group that previously and unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate the National Trust to shut down debates on slavery and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, has now agreed to pay £16,500 towards the costs of the case.

If you are interested in supporting our work to protect and uphold our democracy during these dark political times, you can do so here.

Case

This article is part of our Tufton Street: Shine a light on dark money in politics case

Who pulls the strings of the shady groups at 55 Tufton Street? We’ve started a legal campaign to uncover this insidious network of think-tanks and lobby groups that influence our politics – and to expose who’s behind them.

See more about this case