Background - 29 September, 2006
Science is crucial to environmental protection, and Greenpeace depends on science and technology to underpin its campaign policies. Scientific work also helps Greenpeace to suggest solutions and alternatives to environmental threats and to identify the problems in the first place.
Many of the global problems we face - like climate change, ozone depletion, and the spread of hormone disrupting chemicals - can only be detected and understood through science. Equally, science is used to justify the existence and deployment of environmental threats, such as nuclear power and genetically modified organisms. Our opposition to these technologies has sometimes led to accusations that Greenpeace is 'anti-science'. This is far from the case!
Greenpeace's credibility and ability to achieve its campaign goals depends on producing accurate information based on thorough scientific research, and on making scientifically justifiable claims - a responsibility we take very seriously. Greenpeace uses state of the art equipment and methods, and has clear internal policies and procedures in place, to ensure the highest academic and professional standards are met in checking accuracy of the scientific information we publish.
Greenpeace frequently commissions scientific research reports and investigations in support of its campaigns, and operates its own scientific Research Laboratories, located within the School of Biological Sciences, at Exeter University, UK. The Laboratories provide scientific expertise and analytical support to Greenpeace offices around the world and have contributed to many important achievements in environmental protection over the last two decades.
More information
Our most recent Greenpeace Reports
More information about Greenpeace's positions and critiques on science issues is available here.