WWF: World Wildlife Fund (NGO)

Our work is focused around 6 ambitious goals with people at the centerWWF’s work has evolved from saving species and landscapes to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them. Recognizing that the problems facing our planet are increasingly more complex and urgent, we have refined the way in which we work around an ambitious new strategy. Our new strategy puts people at the center and organizes our work around six key areas: forests, marine, freshwater, wildlife, food and climate. By linking these six areas in an integrated approach, we can better leverage our unique assets and direct all our resources to protecting vulnerable places, species and communities worldwide.

People are at the center of our work because together we can change the trajectory of the threats to nature, and help ensure nature’s ability to provide—for the sake of every living thing, including ourselves.

We work globally, with every sector, at every levelTo accomplish our ambitious goals, we work to educate and influence people into making sustainable choices and decisions, including those who work in business and make decisions around the use of natural resources, and those who work in government and set policy that impacts nature.

We work globally at every level—in the field and in the local community, from the halls of government to the global marketplace. One of WWF’s strengths is our ability to engage stakeholders—in business, civil society, and academia—in partnerships to devise innovative solutions to the issues that challenge us.

Working together with 1.1 million supporters , WWF’s partners, projects and experts are making a difference in creating a healthy future for our planet.

How WWF Works With CompaniesCause MarketingWWF engages with corporations to develop integrated consumer-facing campaigns that enable companies and their customers to show their support and to contribute actively to conservation. These collaborations are specifically designed to increase public awareness about WWF and to generate revenue for WWF’s global conservation efforts.

Philanthropic GivingCompanies may also provide funding to help support specific WWF conservation initiatives and the local communities they serve. Whether funding an initiative which is directly related to their core business or an issue that the company and its employees find meaningful, WWF works to ensure each philanthropic contribution supports lasting conservation solutions that will benefit species, people and the environment.

Sustainable BusinessWWF works with companies to assess their environmental impact and build a strategic plan to reduce that impact in a way that will advance both conservation and the company’s business objectives. This approach is designed to create significant improvements in operational efficiency and sustainability across the company—from headquarters to plant to supply chain. The result is increased efficiency, more secure supplies and a greatly reduced environmental impact.

How WWF Works With humanitarian groupsFollowing a natural disaster, there are two urgent priorities: the immediate needs of survivors and the restoration of devastated communities and environments. Too often, the high demand for natural

resources that are needed to rebuild an area can cause further destruction to the environment and increase communities’ vulnerability to future disasters.

WWF works directly with humanitarian organizations, governments and local communities to help institute better practices for disaster response. We aim to ensure that recovery, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts include considerations of environmental sustainability in order to reduce risk and vulnerability. We have applied this approach and engaged with a range of organizations on various events, including:

2006: Philippines oil spill in 20062008: Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, Cyclone Jokwe in Mozambique, Sichuan Province earthquake in China2010: Earthquake in Haiti, earthquake and tsunami in Chile2011: Pakistan and Thailand floods in 2011Rebuilding Communities Post-TsunamiThe Humanitarian Partnerships Program began in 2005, when WWF and the American Red Cross formed an innovative, five-year partnership to help survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami rebuild their communities as well as the natural environments on which they depend.In Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives, and Indonesia, we combined our expertise in humanitarian aid and environmental management to improve one of the largest international humanitarian responses in recent history.

As a global leader in delivering humanitarian aid, the American Red Cross worked to meet immediate needs and engaged in long-term recovery efforts in areas such as:

water and sanitation housing livelihoods disaster managementAs a leading authority on environment management, WWF advised and trained the American Red Cross and their partners on better practices for rebuilding communities with a commitment to long-term recovery success.

Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit and Training ProgramOver the course of this work, we gained extensive experience incorporating environmental priorities into recovery and reconstruction. Together with the American Red Cross, we used this expertise to create the Green Recovery & Reconstruction: Training Toolkit for Humanitarian Aid (GRRT), a training program designed to increase awareness and knowledge of environmentally sustainable disaster response approaches.Although disasters wreak havoc, the rebuilding effort that follows represents a significant opportunity to rebuild communities that are more environmentally and socially sustainable than they were before.

Environment and Disaster Risk ReductionIn many cases, the root cause of disaster risk is poor environmental management. The use of environmental management to reduce disaster impact is often less costly, more effective and more socially sustainable than traditional structural measures.

When disaster risk reduction activities are being used it is critical that they address environmental sustainability. This ensures that future risk is not increased and neighboring communities are not adversely affected.

Environmentally-based activities for risk reduction that should be considered alongside more conventional, infrastructure-based activities may include:

stabilizing hillsides with vegetation creating open spaces to absorb floodwaters restoring mangrove cover for coastal protection against storm surgeThese approaches can be an integral part of environmentally friendly disaster risk reduction and can provide multiple benefits at a reduced cost.

Marketing Partnerships

WWF engages in a variety of cause marketing partnerships that help drive awareness of, and revenue towards, our conservation work. These partnerships provide a company’s customers and employees with opportunities to show their support of WWF and contribute to protecting nature.

Through the significant support of these companies, WWF has been able to carry out conservation work across the globe in an effort to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.

Types of Marketing Partnerships

While each opportunity is unique, WWF works closely with corporations to design marketing partnerships in the following categories:

LicensingLicense the panda logo and WWF name to secure revenue and to build brand awareness.

Cause-Related Marketing PromotionsConnect more deeply with existing customers, employees and prospects by supporting initiatives that are important to them.

SponsorshipGain visibility and show your corporate support of conservation through sponsoring WWF campaigns and events.

Workplace GivingJoin EarthShare, a national federation that represents leading environmental and conservation organizations in workplace giving campaigns.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (GO)

Our MissionThe mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.EPA's purpose is to ensure that:

all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work;

national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information;

federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively;

environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;

all parts of society -- communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments -- have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;

environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive; and

the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.

To accomplish this mission, we:Develop and enforce regulationsWhen Congress writes an environmental law, we implement it by writing regulations. Often, we set national standards that states and tribes enforce through their own regulations. If they fail to meet the national standards, we can help them. We also enforce our regulations, and help companies understand the requirements.Learn more:

Give grantsNearly half of our budget goes into grants to state environmental programs, non-profits, educational institutions, and others. They use the money for a wide variety of projects, from scientific studies that help us make decisions to community cleanups. Overall, grants help us achieve our overall mission: protect human health and the environment.Learn more:

Study environmental issuesAt laboratories located throughout the nation, we identify and try to solve environmental problems. To learn even more, we share information with other countries, private sector organizations, academic institutions, and other agencies.Learn more:

Sponsor partnershipsWe don't protect the environment on our own, we work with businesses, non-profit organizations, and state and local governments through dozens of partnerships. A few examples include conserving water and energy, minimizing greenhouse gases, re-using solid waste, and getting a handle on pesticide risks. In return, we share information and publicly recognize our partners.

Teach people about the environmentProtecting the environment is everyone's responsibility, and starts with understanding the issues. The basics include reducing how much energy and materials you use, reusing what you can and recycling the rest. There's a lot more about that to learn!

Publish informationThrough written materials and this website, EPA informs the public about our activities.

What we don't doSometimes problems seem like something we would handle, but may actually be the responsibility of other federal, tribal, state or local agencies. It may be most appropriate for you to contact your city, county, or state environmental or health agency rather than EPA.For example:

The Endangered Species Act is primarily managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management addresses the problem

of nuclear waste.

EPA's PMaking a Visible Difference in Communities across the Country: EPA must work each and every day - hand-in-hand with other federal agencies, states, tribes and local communities - to improve the health of American families and protect the environment one community at a time, all across the country. We must:

expand the work we do to enhance the livability and economic vitality of neighborhoods in and around brownfields sites;

strengthen our relationship with America's agricultural community; support green infrastructure to manage urban waters; reduce air pollution along roadways, railways and at ports; and take into consideration the impacts of our decisions on environmental justice

communities through increased analysis, better science, and enhanced community engagement to ensure the protection of basic fundamental rights. 

Addressing Climate Change and Improving Air Quality: Working across EPA and in partnership with other agencies, we will heed the President's call to action on climate change. We will work to mitigate this threat by reducing carbon pollution and other greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and energy sectors, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through our Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, and focusing continued attention on efficiency improvements in homes, buildings, and appliances. In collaboration with other agencies, EPA will build strong partnerships with states, tribes, and local communities to enhance the resiliency of local infrastructure as part of EPA's Sustainable Communities initiative.On-going EPA programs such as Energy Star, SmartWay, WaterSense, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), and the Economy, Energy and

Environment (E3) program, as well as partnerships with business and manufacturing, will continue to be critical to build innovation and to help consumers save money while seeing pollution reductions. International mitigation efforts, in partnership with other agencies, are an essential component of our work. Co-benefits of criteria pollution reduction will be maximized to deliver significant health benefits to the American public, while continuing to make progress to improve ambient air quality and reduce emissions of toxic pollutants in areas where exposures remain challenging.

Taking Action on Toxics and Chemical Safety: Keeping communities safe and healthy requires action to reduce risks associated with exposure to chemicals in commerce, our indoor and outdoor environments, and products and food. EPA must implement the existing Toxic Substances Control Act to the maximum extent possible in the near term, while providing technical assistance in support of a bipartisan effort to modernize the law. Continuing to oversee the introduction and use of pesticides, improve our Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, reduce radon risks, identify and address children's health risks in schools and homes, and improve chemical management practices will remain of central relevance to EPA's mission, including maintaining incentive-based efforts and research to promote green chemistry.Oversight of chemical storage and manufacturing in coordination with our interagency partners will remain a key focus of attention, as will efforts to reduce urban air toxics. EPA must also enhance the tracking and management of hazardous waste through modern e-Manifest tracking systems and continue to improve our ability to monitor and model air emissions and provide American families with the information they need to understand and minimize adverse health impacts. 

Protecting Water: A Precious, Limited Resource: Given the nation's significant water infrastructure needs and substantial evidence that progress in advancing clean water and safe drinking water goals in the U.S. is stalled, there is a clear need to reinvigorate efforts to improve water quality. By taking action to reduce uncertainties about the scope of the Clean Water Act, to employ green infrastructure and other locally driven solutions that restore degraded waterways and revitalize communities, and to focus resources to decrease pollution to our waters and protect high quality waters, we can achieve real, cost-effective solutions to our nation's water quality challenges.Simultaneously, our efforts will protect drinking water from known and emerging contaminants that endanger public health. Achieving these results requires new paradigms including state, tribal, city roles and incentives for local action. EPA realizes that we are not the only entity engaged and investing in this critical work. To complement these efforts and enhance our ability to fulfill our mission, we will coordinate closely with local, state, and regional stakeholders, including elected officials, industry, non-governmental organizations, and environmental entities.

Launching a New Era of State, Tribal and Local Partnerships: Good government, as well as the reality of scarcer resources, require that EPA work in concert with the states, tribes, local governments, and sister federal agencies that constitute our country's environmental protection enterprise, to ensure the efficiency, efficacy, and coordination of our overlapping and complementary efforts.  Work must be shared, roles must be refined, and stronger, more efficient and cost-effective partnerships must be built to ensure our continued joint success. EPA must work with our co-regulators as well as the regulated community and the people we serve, to build new tools and strategies that enhance coordination, establish joint priorities, manage resources effectively, and share information through E-Enterprise.

Embracing EPA as a High Performing Organization: To meet our mission, EPA must maintain and attract the workforce of the future, modernize our business practices, and take advantage of new tools and technologies. This will be critical as policy decisions are made, rules are promulgated and implemented, contracts are enacted, grants funds are distributed, technical assistance is provided, compliance is promoted, science is studied and integrated into decision-making, work is communicated, outreach is conducted, research is planned and funded, and personnel are hired, trained and supported to enhance their performance.  In short, with each and every "transaction” that is conducted within EPA and between EPA and the outside world, value must be added to our workforce, our co-regulators, our partners, and the people we serve.As part of this effort, EPA must embrace "Next Generation" tools and processes. E-government must deliver data that is transparent, readily available, and understandable so that the entire environmental protection enterprise (federal, state, local, and tribal partners) can regularly conduct business electronically in an integrated way. The Agency must focus on streamlining internal business practices and decision-making at all levels. We must continuously improve our work environment, and ensure that staff are properly trained and supported, that we promote diversity and protect civil rights, and that input from career staff in headquarters and the regions is welcomed and fully considered in policy and programmatic decisions.To stay current, programs must be constantly revisited to ensure they are well focused and cutting edge; rules must be crafted to maximize environmental benefit while minimizing cost, and resources -- this includes enforcement and compliance efforts. As an Agency, our budget must align with EPA's priorities and we must ensure that we are using the right tools (regulatory or incentive-based) to maximize the benefits of EPA, state, tribal, and regulatory entity investments. Lastly, decision-making processes must be streamlined to increase efficiency and reduce costs while retaining or enhancing environmental benefits.

Working Toward a Sustainable Future: Our traditional approaches to risk reduction and pollution control can only go so far to deliver the long term and broad environmental quality we seek. The interplay between different media and different statutes also requires renewed attention to improve "synergy" and long-term solutions. Incentive-based efforts to complement our base of solid regulations and a review of new and key existing regulations to examine sustainable enhancements are important actions. Integrating efforts with a new commitment to innovation, the high-level use of data and information, partnerships, incentives, new and expanded constituencies, and environmental education will build momentum. The Agency's work with the international community will benefit from an approach in which sustainable practices are part of our dialogue going forward on issues of mutual concern.

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IGO)

Introducing UNESCOIn 1945, UNESCO was created in order to respond to the firm belief of nations, forged by two world wars in less than a generation, that political and economic agreements are not enough to build a lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity.

UNESCO strives to build networks among nations that enable this kind of solidarity, by:

Mobilizing for education: so that every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education as a fundamental human right and as a prerequisite for human development.

Building intercultural understanding: through protection of heritage and support for cultural diversity. UNESCO created the idea of World Heritage to protect sites of outstanding universal value.

Pursuing scientific cooperation: such as early warning systems for tsunamis or trans-boundary water management agreements, to strengthen ties between nations and societies.

Protecting freedom of expression: an essential condition for democracy, development and human dignity.

Today, UNESCO's message has never been more important. We must create holistic policies that are capable of addressing the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development. This new thinking on sustainable development reaffirms the founding principles of the Organization and enhances its role:

In a globalized world with interconnected societies, intercultural dialogue is vital if we are to live together while acknowledging our diversity.

In an uncertain world, the future of nations depends not only on their economic capital or natural resources, but on their collective ability to understand and anticipate changes in the environment - through education, scientific research and the sharing of knowledge.

In an unstable world - marked by fledgling democratic movements, the emergence of new economic powers and societies weakened by multiple stress factors – the educational, scientific and cultural fabric of societies – along with respect for fundamental rights - guarantees their resilience and stability.

In a connected world - with the emergence of the creative economy and knowledge societies, along with the dominance of the Internet, the full participation of everyone in the new global public space is a prerequisite for peace and development.

UNESCO is known as the "intellectual" agency of the United Nations. At a time when the world is looking for new ways to build peace and sustainable development, people must rely on the power of intelligence to innovate, expand their horizons and sustain the hope of a new humanism. UNESCO exists to bring this creative intelligence to life; for it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace and the conditions for sustainable development must be built.

Governing Bodies

The General ConferenceThe General Conference   consists of the representatives of UNESCO's Member States. It meets every two years, and is attended by Member States and Associate Members, together with observers for non-Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.

Mr Stanley Mutumba Simataa © UNESCO/ P. Chiang-Joo

The General Conference determines the policies and the main lines of work of the Organization. Its duty is to set the programmes and the budget of UNESCO. It also elects the Members of the Executive Board and appoints, every four years, the Director-General. The working languages of the General Conference are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

The Executive BoardThe Executive Board ensures the overall management of UNESCO. It prepares the work of the General Conference and sees that its decisions are properly carried out. The functions and responsibilities of the Executive Board are derived primarily from the Constitution and from rules or directives laid down by the General Conference.

 

Themes

Education for the 21st Century

Education transforms lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development.

UNESCO believes that education is a human right for all throughout life and that access must be matched by quality. The Organization is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to cover all aspects of education. It has been entrusted to lead the Global Education 2030 Agenda through Sustainable Development Goal 4. The roadmap to achieve this is the Education 2030 Framework for Action (FFA).

Fostering Freedom of Expression

As the United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works to foster free, independent and pluralistic media in print, broadcast and online. Media development in this mode enhances freedom of expression, and it contributes to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights.

Protecting Our Heritage and Fostering Creativity

In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its diverse manifestations – from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms – enrich our everyday lives in countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source of identity and cohesion for communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Creativity contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Both heritage and creativity lay the foundations for vibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge societies.

Learning to Live Together

In today’s increasingly diverse societies, UNESCO continues to accomplish every day its fundamental humanist mission to support people in understanding each other and working together to build lasting peace. UNESCO also helps to enable people to create and use knowledge for just and inclusive societies

Building Knowledge Societies

Knowledge and information have significant impact on people’s lives. The sharing of knowledge and information, particularly through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has the power to transform economies and societies. UNESCO works to create inclusive knowledge societies and empower local communities by increasing access to and preservation and sharing of information and knowledge in all of UNESCO’s domains. Knowledge societies must build on four pillars: freedom of expression; universal access to information and knowledge; respect for cultural and linguistic diversity; and quality education for all.

One Planet, One Ocean

Conserving the diversity of life on Earth and ocean health is critical to global human welfare, yet essential resources are at risk from the direct results of unsustainable practices. Sustainable development cannot be achieved by technological solutions, political regulation or financial instruments alone. We need to change the way we think and act.

Science for a Sustainable Future

Creating knowledge and understanding through science equips us to find solutions to today’s acute economic, social and environmental challenges and to achieving sustainable development and greener societies. As no one country can achieve sustainable development alone, international scientific cooperation contributes, not only to scientific knowledge but also to building peace.

IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IGO)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN has evolved into the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its 1,300 Member organisations and the input of some 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Our experts are organised into six commissions dedicated to species survival, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication.

The ability to convene diverse stakeholders and provide the latest science, objective recommendations and on-the-ground expertise drives IUCN’s mission of informing and empowering conservation efforts worldwide. We provide a neutral forum in which governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples groups, faith-based organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges.

By facilitating these solutions, IUCN provides governments and institutions at all levels with the impetus to achieve universal goals, including on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development, which IUCN was instrumental in defining.

Combined, our knowledge base and diverse membership make IUCN an incubator and trusted repository of best practices, conservation tools, and international guidelines and standards. As the

only environmental organisation with official United Nations Observer Status, IUCN ensures that nature conservation has a voice at the highest level of international governance.

IUCN’s expertise and extensive network provide a solid foundation for a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects around the world. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being. They also produce a wealth of data and information which feeds into IUCN’s analytical capacity.

Through their affiliation with IUCN, Member organisations are part of a democratic process, voting Resolutions which drive the global conservation agenda. They meet every four years at the IUCN World Conservation Congress to set priorities and agree on the Union’s work programme. IUCN congresses have produced several key international environmental agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the World Heritage Convention, and the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. We continue to help these conventions strengthen and evolve so that they can respond to emerging challenges.

Our Member organisations are represented by the IUCN Council – the governing body. Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 950 staff in more than 50 countries. 

ProgrammeWhat is the IUCN Programme?The IUCN Programme provides the framework for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the conservation work undertaken by the Commissions and the Secretariat with and on behalf of IUCN Members.  The IUCN Programme 2017-2020 was approved by Member organizations at IUCN’s World Conservation Congress in September 2016 in Hawaii, USA. It was developed as a result of a nine-month consultation process across IUCN Members and Commissions. 

Working for people and natureOur work is guided by the IUCN Programme 2017- 2020 which has three priority areas:

Valuing and conserving nature enhances IUCN’s heartland work on biodiversity conservation, emphasising both tangible and intangible values of nature.

Promoting and supporting effective and equitable governance of natural resources consolidates IUCN’s work on people-nature relations, rights and responsibilities, and the political economy of nature.

Deploying nature-based solutions to societal challengesexpands IUCN’s work on nature’s contribution to tackling problems of sustainable development, particularly in climate change, food security and social and economic development.

Who implements the Programme?The Programme is implemented through the combined force of the Secretariat working together with six IUCN Commissions, with more than 16,000 members who provide critical knowledge for Programme implementation.

Under the One Programme Charter adopted by Council in May 2011, the 1,300 State, government and NGO Members of IUCN contribute where there is alignment with the IUCN Programme. The Programme relies on impact indicators for biodiversity, people and nature, and nature and development.

World Conservation CongressHeld once every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together several thousand leaders and decision-makers from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia, with the goal of conserving the environment and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges.

The Congress aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development, but this cannot be achieved by conservationists alone. The IUCN Congress is the place to put aside differences and work together to create good environmental governance, engaging all parts of society to share both the responsibilities and the benefits of conservation.

The most recent Congress took place from 1 to 10 September in Hawaiʻi, USA. The State of Hawaiʻi hosted the event with support from the US Department of State.

www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org

A Congress with two componentsThe Forum is a hub of public debate, bringing together people from all walks of life to discuss the world’s most pressing conservation and sustainability challenges. It includes many different types of events from high level dialogues to training workshops which explore the depths of conservation and innovation.

The Members’ Assembly is IUCN’s highest decision-making body. A unique global environmental parliament, it involves governments and NGOs – large and small, national and international – taking joint decisions on conservation and sustainability.

Greenpeace (NGO)

Our mission: Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.“We ‘bear witness’ to environmental destruction in a peaceful, non-violent manner. We use non-violent confrontation to raise

the level and quality of public debate. In exposing threats to the environment and finding solutions we have no permanent allies or adversaries. We ensure our financial independence from political or commercial interests.”Annie Leonard, Greenpeace USA Executive Director

Our HistoryA group of thoughtful, committed citizens came together in 1971 to create Greenpeace. A handful of determined activists leased a small fishing vessel, called the Phyllis Cormack, and set sail from Vancouver for Amchitka Island in Alaska. Their mission was to protest U.S. nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska with a brave act of defiance: to place themselves in harm’s way. Despite being intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, these daring activists sailed into history by bringing worldwide attention to the dangers of nuclear testing.

Our WorkThat was more than 30 years ago, and in that time, Greenpeace has indeed changed the world. And we continue to make the world a better place. Our committed activists and supporters have come together to ban commercial whaling, convince the world’s leaders to stop nuclear testing, protect Antarctica, and so much more.

Today, we have grown from a small group of dedicated activists to an international organization with offices in more than 30 countries. But our spirit and our mission remain the same. Our fight to save the planet has grown more serious — the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster loom large. Greenpeace is actively working to address these and other threats.

Our Commitment to Diversity and InclusionGreenpeace challenges the systems of power and privilege that destroy the environment and place disproportionate burdens on vulnerable communities. As Greenpeace, we know from nature that diversity is essential to life on the planet and success in our organization. We welcome, value, and rely on a diversity of people, cultural experiences, and perspectives. We learn from one another. Through our campaigning, we create solutions that promote environmental sustainability rooted in social justice.

Our Volunteers

We work with thousands of volunteers who are on the inside track of our campaigns. Whether you’ve been an activist for decades or you’re just starting and want to learn how you can help, we have volunteer opportunities for you.

Our FundingGreenpeace does not solicit contributions from government or corporations, nor will we endorse political candidates. Our 250,000 members in the United States and 2.8 million members worldwide provide virtually all of our funding through individual contributions. Your support provides the backbone of our organization and is invaluable to our efforts.

Our CampaignsSaving the ArcticThe Arctic is one of the most unique places on Earth. It spans eight countries, is home to more than 13 million people and provides a habitat for some of the most incredible wildlife on Earth. And now, it’s the battleground for what could be the most important fight in environmental history.

Protecting ForestsForests are crucial for the health and well-being of people, wildlife and our planet. They’re home to roughly two-thirds of all land-dwelling plant and animal species, critical lifelines for communities big and small, and one of the last lines of defense against catastrophic climate change.

Fighting Global WarmingThe devastating impacts of climate change are clear. Our world is warmer than ever before, and people and wildlife are already suffering the consequences. But that’s nothing compared to what we’re leaving future generations if these trends continue. It’s time to stop the destruction. It’s time for an energy [r]evolution.

Protecting Our OceansHealthy oceans are the life support system for our planet, providing 97 percent of the Earth’s livable habitat and a home to more than 700,000 species. The oceans are vital to human health as well, providing jobs, enjoyment and food to billions of people. Half of the oxygen we breathe is generated by our oceans.

Living Toxic-FreeWe all deserve to live our lives free of the harmful impacts of toxic chemicals. Whether by pushing for safer chemical plants or detoxing the clothing we wear every day, we’re working towards a toxic-free future for all.

Promoting Sustainable AgricultureAgriculture should work with our natural environment, not against it. We all deserve food that’s nutritious, delicious, and healthy—both for people and the planet. That’s not the reality we live in today, but it can be.

Defending DemocracyDemocracy is the best tool we have to protect the environment, but it has to work properly. Corporate influence in American politics is getting in the way of progress. These corporations are getting what they want because they’re working together. The question is, can we?