Thought Leader : Celebrating almost half a century of saving the planet

Founded in 1971 by a small group of activists, Greenpeace now has a global presence in over 40 countries. Greenpeace aims to combat all forms of environmental abuse and is well-known for its high-profile and high-impact campaigns. It has been key to the almost complete eradication of whale hunting in the world and the ending of nuclear testing globally. With the current threat of climate change and biodiversity loss, Greenpeace is more relevant today than ever.

he clue is in the name. Greenpeace In this most recent interview with off Alaska, and there was a protest against has believed for nearly 50 years Research Features, Greenpeace UK CEO the testing by a number of people. That T that the possibility of a peaceful John Sauven describes the birth of the movement inspired massive opposition to world and a green world have to come organisation, the ‘David Attenborough the testing of nuclear weapons. Ultimately, hand-in-hand. By staying independent, effect’ and what strategies they employ to out of that group of people, some of the organisation has ensured that they bring people together in direct action to whom were Quakers, some of whom stay free from party politics and are not save this fragile planet. were dodging the drafts of the Vietnam under the influence of corporations or War, came the collective Greenpeace. governments. They are truly able to invest Can you tell us a little bit about The Quakers inspired the idea of bearing Greenpeace ship MV Greenpeace in the Antarctic. their efforts where they really matter, and Greenpeace in terms of its mission, witness, of acting when you see a wrong Photo credit: Greenpeace / Steve Morgan. in 2018, as ever, that means protecting cause and heritage? happening and that gave rise to the idea the Earth – the only life support system Greenpeace came out of several different of peaceful, non-violent direct action we have. movements, connected broadly to the which Greenpeace became famous for. In terms of the big issues Greenpeace It is very impressive that Greenpeace environment and peace. In the early was working on in the 70s, some of these is still independent and does not 1970s, the United States was testing have not gone away and some of them accept funding from corporations Pongo Tapanuliensis in Northern Sumatra. Photo nuclear weapons in the Aleutian Islands have taken up a new form. Climate or communities. Can you tell us credit: James Askew / Sumatran Orangutan change and the ending of the fossil more about Greenpeace’s success Conservation Programme / Greenpeace fuel age is now a much bigger issue. by relying on individual supporters The other two big campaign areas are and foundations? in Indonesia for palm oil, as well as their really about biodiversity, particularly Greenpeace has always held onto its funding for tar sands pipelines in Canada, , which is not only independence as absolutely key to its both of which we have and do campaign decimating the and leading success. The fact that we have never against. That does not mean we are anti- to a huge loss of biodiversity but also accepted money from corporations, corporate or anti-government. We work has a huge impact on the climate. governments or governmental institutions with many corporations and governments and form many partnerships and alliances to deliver our mission. Independence gives us the freedom to operate; I always A core part of Greenpeace is its activists. say to organisations: ‘Today we’re aligned on this issue, but tomorrow we might We could not exist without them. be non-aligned on another issue’.

Can you just provide us with a very brief The other campaigns revolve around has been very important. If you are paid overview of your role and responsibilities the oceans. One is about establishing to do your work by corporations or at Greenpeace UK? marine-protected areas and that has governments, you become constrained. I am the CEO of Greenpeace UK; recently focused on the Antarctic Oceans. Your independence is ultimately the buck stops with me when anything The other is about ocean plastics compromised because you are not able to goes wrong. We are carrying out a lot which are causing devastation of the look at the world in an objective way. If for of high profile activities, and some of marine environment. About a truckload example we were taking money from a them do have personal safety or legal risks of plastic is put into the ocean every bank like HSBC, we would not have been associated with them. As a CEO, you have minute, leading to the death of millions able to campaign against HSBC both to understand and manage those risks, Protest against VW Diesel Cars at Sheerness Port in Kent . Photo credit: Will Rose / Greenpeace of birds and hundreds of thousands in terms of their funding of companies and also make sure that you have training, of marine mammals. involved in the destruction of the policies and procedures in place. I also

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Emma Thompson and John Sauven at COP21 London March. Photo credit: John Cobb / Greenpeace. Earth Day Break Free from Plastics Actions in UK. Photo credit: John Cobb / Greenpeace.

have to make bold decisions. We have Can you tell us more about effectively use that situation. You have extensively in investigations. About ten and supporters. They give us small sums a Greenspeaker or join our lobbying to take risks if we are going to save the Greenpeace’s work to help reduce got to be agile in order to be able to use years ago, for example, we were involved of money each month, but our activists network where they can lobby their MP. planet. We have got to be comfortable our plastic footprint so far? the leverage when events do happen in a campaign to stop soya, which is are also involved in many aspects of There are lots of different ways in which with sticking our head above the parapet. A couple of years ago we started running in the external environment. used in animal feed and is a driver of our work, including in our investigations people can engage with Greenpeace, We have to make sure that we are a successful ocean plastics campaign, deforestation in the Amazon. We did and our actions. The Greenspeakers be part of Greenpeace and be part of effective and spending supporters money engaging millions of people. Then along Apart from oceans plastics, what a very extensive investigation looking are several dozen people who are trained the success of Greenpeace. wisely, and that the supporters can see comes David Attenborough’s Blue Planet other main priorities and campaigns at where the soya was coming from, in giving talks to schools and community that their money is being used well. II, and puts the issue into the homes of are you focusing on? Greenpeace is a collective endeavour, 17 million people in the UK. When we Recently we have been doing a lot but if something goes wrong, I take started the campaign we did not know of work on the impact of deforestation responsibility for it. David Attenborough was going to cover for palm oil in Indonesia because About a truckload of plastic is put into the ocean every the issue and send things stratospheric. as well as having a negative impact All of a sudden, corporations were falling on biodiversity in general, there is a minute, leading to the death of millions of birds and hundreds over themselves to make promises and threat to iconic species like orangutans of thousands of marine mammals. government ministers were making which depend on those rainforests for speeches on the issue. If you are present their survival. We need healthy rainforests at these kinds of moments with a for a healthy planet. When we destroy who was producing it, who was trading groups, getting people involved You can find out more about good campaign, you are able to more the rainforests we are causing a huge it, where it was going. That investigation and helping people understand what Greenpeace and how to get involved amount of emissions, leading to climate took 18 months and was very expensive. we do and why. It enables us to really at www.greenpeace.org.uk/. change. Around 20% of our oxygen About five years ago we decided to look have a breadth and depth of presence Deforested Area in the Amazon. Destruction of Peat Land in Sumatra. Photo credit: Daniel Beltrá / Greenpeace. Photo credit: Greenpeace. comes from the rainforests (80% comes at these kinds of investigations in a more in communities across the country, from the oceans), and they are important holistic way; we decided to publish them and a face-to-face connection which as a store for carbon. They are also critical on a platform called Unearthed. We had is important in the era of social media. in terms of global rainfall patterns; they a lot of support when we launched it, from produce large quantities of rain. We are people like David Attenborough, and Could you just briefly give an overview tackling corporations and governments it now has credibility as a serious platform of how people can get involved in that are driving the destruction, and then for publishing investigative work. Many helping the environment and helping Greenpeace, more directly regarding climate change, of the stories published on Unearthed to support Greenpeace. Canonbury Villas, we are doing a lot of work to get rid are now published in national and even People can support us financially which London of fossil fuels. For example, we support international newspapers. is really important, but people can help N1 2PN renewable energy solutions and the take in whichever way they can, with their UK up of electric vehicles. What is the Greenpeace network time and commitment as well. This can and have you found that these be online, sharing our petitions or writing E: [email protected] What was the reason behind the Greenspeakers have had letters, or it can go all the way to joining T: +44 020 7865 8100/0800 269 065 Unearthed project and what has been a significant impact? a local group, becoming a local activist, W: www.greenpeace.org.uk/ its impact on Greenpeace so far? A core part of Greenpeace is its activists. participating in our actions or joining We have always been involved quite We could not exist without our activists other networks. People can become

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