Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a global environmental organization founded in 1971, known for its bold activism and campaigns to protect nature, fight climate change, and promote peace.

The founding of Greenpeace

Greenpeace was founded in 1971 by a small group of activists in Vancouver, Canada. Their original mission was to stop a U.S. nuclear weapons test at Amchitka Island, off the coast of Alaska. The founders — a mix of environmentalists and anti-war activists — believed that peaceful protest and direct action could create meaningful change. They chartered a fishing boat, aptly named Greenpeace, to sail into the nuclear test zone and draw public attention to the environmental dangers of nuclear testing.

Though the test they opposed went ahead, the campaign generated massive media attention and captured public imagination. This early success set the tone for Greenpeace’s future: bold, attention-grabbing actions that challenge powerful interests in defense of the environment.

Growth, Rainbow Warrior and global influence

After its first mission, Greenpeace quickly expanded beyond anti-nuclear activism. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it became a major voice in campaigns against whaling, toxic waste dumping, deforestation, and other global environmental issues. Their approach — often combining scientific research, media-savvy activism, and non-violent protest — distinguished them from more traditional conservation groups.

In 1978, Greenpeace acquired a former fishing trawler and renamed it the Rainbow Warrior. The ship became a powerful symbol of the movement, participating in many direct actions, including efforts to stop whaling and nuclear testing. In 1985, during a campaign against French nuclear testing in the Pacific, the Rainbow Warrior was bombed by French intelligence agents in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand, tragically killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira. The attack shocked the world and galvanized support for Greenpeace’s mission, making the Rainbow Warrior a lasting emblem of environmental courage and resilience.

Greenpeace officially became an international organization in 1979, forming Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam. Today, it operates in over 55 countries with millions of supporters worldwide. The organization's famous direct actions, like chaining themselves to oil rigs or blocking whaling ships, have become iconic symbols of environmental resistance.

Major historical campaigns

Throughout its history, Greenpeace has led several landmark campaigns that have had a lasting impact on environmental policy and public awareness. One of the earliest victories was the 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling, following years of dramatic protests at sea. Another milestone came in the late 1980s, when Greenpeace campaigns helped trigger international agreements to protect Antarctica from mineral exploitation.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Greenpeace pushed for the adoption of bans on toxic chemicals like PCBs and worked to expose illegal logging in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. The organization's tireless advocacy contributed to the establishment of marine reserves and policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Throughout these decades, new versions of the Rainbow Warrior continued to play a key role in environmental campaigns, sailing around the world to bear witness and take action.

Current campaigns and focus areas

Today, Greenpeace’s work is more critical than ever as the world faces an escalating climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Its key campaigns currently focus on climate action, protecting oceans and forests, promoting sustainable agriculture, and ending plastic pollution. One of its major climate campaigns urges governments and corporations to move away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources.

In the oceans campaign, Greenpeace is lobbying for a strong Global Ocean Treaty to protect vast areas of international waters. Their forest campaigns are centered on saving the Amazon and other critical ecosystems from industrial agriculture and mining. Meanwhile, they are also pushing for a global plastics treaty that would dramatically reduce plastic production and waste.

Greenpeace continues to embrace its founding spirit by combining bold, peaceful protest with scientific advocacy. From projecting messages onto the headquarters of polluting companies to sailing ships like the new Rainbow Warrior III into restricted zones to expose environmental damage, they remain on the frontline of the global environmental movement.

New challenges

As it nears its sixth decade, Greenpeace is adapting to new challenges while staying true to its original mission: bearing witness, speaking truth to power, and inspiring action for a greener, fairer world. With a strong emphasis on climate justice, the organization is increasingly working alongside Indigenous groups, frontline communities, and youth activists.

Their approach reflects a growing understanding that environmental issues are deeply connected with social justice, equity, and human rights. By supporting systemic change and amplifying marginalized voices, Greenpeace hopes to help build a future where both people and the planet can thrive.

Key Quaker contributions and influence

The 'Don’t Make a Wave Committee', formed in 1970 in Vancouver to protest US nuclear testing in Alaska, was the immediate precursor to Greenpeace. Many of its members were pacifists and activists connected to peace and anti-war movements — some of which were rooted in Quaker communities.

Jim and Marie Bohlen, early co-founders, were influenced by Quaker and pacifist ideals, though not Quakers themselves. Their activism was shaped by similar ethical traditions.

Paul Cote, a lawyer and co-founder, and Irving Stowe, another central figure, were both deeply committed to nonviolence and spiritual-based activism. While not all were formal Quakers, they respected and practiced Quaker-style consensus decision-making.

The Quaker Peace Testimony, which dates back to 1660, inspired the nonviolent direct action style that early Greenpeace adopted — particularly the idea of 'bearing witness' to injustice through peaceful presence.

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Greenpeace badges & campaigns and Greenpeace website (opens in a new tab).

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