Richest 100 families asked to help the planet

The UK’s richest 100 families have been urged to commit £1billion over the next five years to tackling climate change and the destruction of the natural world.

Yesterday, each of the 100 richest families and 100 biggest charitable organisations was due to receive a letter asking them to make this the focus of their philanthropy.

Ben Goldsmith, an investor and philanthropist, and a signatory to the letter, said: “Given what is at stake for the planet, it is odd that we have so few people giving money and funding [for] these problems. This is the mother of all problems – everything else is subservient to this.”