FAQs
About Us
Q: What is Greenpeace?
A: Greenpeace is an independent organisation campaigning to ensure a peaceful and sustainable world for future generations. Greenpeace stands for positive change through action. We defend the natural world and promote peace. We investigate, expose and confront environmental abuse by governments and corporations around the world. We champion environmentally responsible and socially just solutions, including scientific and technical innovation.
Q: What is Greenpeace’s mission?
A: Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action. The underlying goal of all our work is a green and peaceful world – an earth that is ecologically healthy and able to nurture life in all its diversity. Greenpeace’s goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity. Greenpeace campaigns are geared towards a sustainable planet.
Q: How Greenpeace is organised?
A: Greenpeace is present in more than 55 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Greenpeace consists of Greenpeace International in Amsterdam, and Greenpeace national and regional offices.
Greenpeace International monitors the organisational development, oversees our fleet of ships, coordinates planning and implementation of our global campaigns and monitors compliance with core policies.
Greenpeace is one of the most well-known, effective, and ambitious environmental organisations in the world. Greenpeace has consultative status with the United Nations and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Q: Where does Greenpeace get its funding from?
A: To maintain absolute independence, we don’t accept money from companies, governments or political parties. We’re serious about that – we screen cheques, and actually send them back when they’re drawn on a corporate account. We depend on the donations of individual supporters to carry on our campaigns for a greener, more peaceful world.
Our accounts are audited every year, and we publish Annual Reports so you can see exactly how much money we’re given and how it gets spent.
Q: How did Greenpeace start?
A: In 1971, motivated by their vision of a green and peaceful world, a small team of activists set sail from Vancouver, Canada, in an old fishing boat. These activists, the founders of Greenpeace, believed a few individuals could make a difference. Nowadays, Greenpeace has 2.8 million supporters worldwide and a presence in 41 countries.
Q: Where does the name Rainbow Warrior come from?
A: Bob Hunter, one of the founders of Greenpeace, tells a story in his book, Warriors of the Rainbow, about how this legend crossed his path.
On the first voyage of a Greenpeace ship, the Phyllis Cormack, Bob had taken on board a small book of Indian myths and legends that contained some striking prophesies. A chapter that particularly inspired Hunter related a story an old Cree Indian woman, ‘Eyes of Fire’ told to her great grandson. Just as they were being overthrown, The Cree Indian people foresaw a time when the white man’s materialistic ways would strip the earth of its resources, but just before it was too late the Great Spirit of the Indians would return to resurrect the braves and teach the white man reverence for the earth. They would become known as the Warriors of the Rainbow. The story circulated in Greenpeace for many years, and in 1978 our first ship, a rusting North Sea Trawler named the “Sir William Hardy” was rechristened “Rainbow Warrior.”
As of January,2007, 2.9 million had taken out or renewed their financial membership within the last 18 months. Our financial supporters are the people who keep our ships on the oceans and our campaigners in the field. Millions of people around the world who take action with us every day as online activists or local groups, or as volunteers.
Q: What are some of the key issues that Greenpeace is focused on in Southeast Asia?
A: Currently, Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigns to raise awareness and bring real action to solve pressing environmental issues concerning oceans, forests, climate, food, plastics and consumption, as well as social justice. To learn more, see our Explore page.
Get Involved
Q: How do I make donation?
A: Thank you for considering donating to Greenpeace, it means a lot to us as we are the only global environmental charity that accepts no corporate or government donations so we can maintain a much needed independent voice. So we rely totally on individual supporters like you to fund our work.
Please go to our Donation page for a step-by-step guide on how you can support our work in Southeast Asia.
Q: I cannot afford to make a donation to Greenpeace, but I want to help and receive regular information about Greenpeace. What else can I do?
A: Log in regularly to the Community section of our website to participate in Greenpeace online campaign activities. You’ll also receive a free newsletter via email with plenty of options for helping win environmental campaigns with Greenpeace.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to get more updates and fabulous shareable content to get others informed and involved.
Q: How can I volunteer for Greenpeace?
A: Check our #JoinUs page, for volunteer news and updates.
Q: Why is there no Greenpeace office in my country?
A: It is just not possible for Greenpeace to have an office everywhere. We receive many requests every day to open offices all over the world. Like any other organisation Greenpeace has to work within a budget and we have to make choices about what we do. Our campaign work is targeted against the greatest threats to the global environment.
You can help us in many ways even if there’s no office in your country. Visit our #JoinUs page to learn more about what you can do every day to help Greenpeace win campaigns for the environment.
Q: Where can I find the address of the nearest Greenpeace office in my country?
A: There’s a full list of countries where we have offices at our Worldwide Offices page. If there’s no office in your country, you can write to [email protected].
Q: How can I become a Greenpeace Supporter if there is no Greenpeace office in my country?
A: Supporter Services at Greenpeace International runs the membership service for our supporters who live in countries where we do not have an office. Join Greenpeace International today. You might also meet other Greenpeace supporters from your country in our Facebook page.
Q: I’m a student writing a report about an environmental problem. Can you send me information?
A: We get many requests at Greenpeace for help with general school reports about pollution and other environmental issues. We wish we could help each of you individually, but we try to keep focused on the tasks that people donate to Greenpeace for: to win campaigns for the environment. Don’t forget that you can search through all the information at the Greenpeace site.
Q: How do I get to work for Greenpeace?
A: If you’re interested in working for us, have a look at the list of current positions open at the #JoinUs page.