Fundraising Principles
At Greenpeace we are honoured that our work is funded almost entirely by donations given to us by passionate individuals from all over the world who care about the planet and want to help us create change, and by some grants from private charitable foundations who share our values.
Our independence is vital for us to be effective in our campaigning work, which is why we have it as a core principle that guides all of our fundraising. We do not accept funding from corporations, political parties, governments or the European Union.
We also screen all large private donations to identify if there is anything about them which could compromise our independence, our integrity or deflect from our campaign priorities. If we find something, then we will refuse or return the donation.
In 2017, 95.3% of global Greenpeace funds came from individual donations, with about 3.3% from independent foundations and 1.4% from lottery funding.
Transparency and Accountability
Greenpeace works to ensure transparency and public accountability in its campaigning, fundraising and financial management practices.
Greenpeace European Unit is on the European Union Transparency Register (EUTR), disclosing information according to stricter guidelines as recommended by ALTER-EU and Civil Society Europe.
In accordance with these guidelines, Greenpeace discloses the following names of individuals from national and regional offices who spent some of their working time (some less than 20%) in 2023 on lobbying activities or their preparation:
AT Ursula Bittner, BR Cristiane Mazzetti, CZ Jan Freidiger, DE Anna Von Gall, DE Christiane Huxdorff, DE Gesche Juergens, DE Oliver Salge, DK Kristian Sloth, ES Helena Moreno, ES Luis Ferreirim, ES Miguel Angel Soto, FR Ariane Malleret, FR Coralie Barbier, FR Eric Moranval, GR Albane Aubry, GR Elena Danali, INT Grant Rosoman, INT Melissa Wang, IT Federica Ferrario, IT Martina Borghi, IT Simona Savini, LU Raymond Aendekerk, NL Hilde-Anna de Vries, NL Sigrid Deters, PL Krzysztof Cibor, SE Carl Schlyter, SE Dima Litvinov, SE Jehki Harkonan, SE Zoran Tomic, SK Katharina Jurikova, UK Sam Chetanwelsh.
The Executive & the Programme Directors of European National and Regional Greenpeace offices have also worked on all or some of the issues related to lobbying activities in 2023.
Staff members of Greenpeace European Unit are listed at the following link: https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/staff/
In 2023, the number of staff members involved in the activities reported in the EUTR is 14 (campaigns & policy: Marco Contiero, Sébastien Risso, Eva Corral, Kevin Stairs, Silvia Pastorelli, Lorelei Limousin and Thomas Gelin | general: Magda Stoczkiewicz, Jorgo Riss | communications: Mark Breddy, John Hyland, Paul Musiol | legal: Andrea Carta, Mattia Bosio). Still in 2023, only one staff member dedicated 75% of their working time to lobbying activities; four staff members dedicated 50% or more of their working time to the activities and nine 20% or less.
Greenpeace strives to be transparent, responsive to stakeholders and focused on delivering impact, while seeking to respect human rights, work ethically and professionally, and maintain our independence.
Greenpeace International has adopted an Open Information Policy, which is designed to ensure we meet both legal requirements and best practice in the handling of information. It follows the principles of availability, integrity and confidentiality (in priority order), while at the same time safeguarding, from abuse or compromise, our supporters’, people’s, allies’ and partners’ and our own sensitive information.
Greenpeace reports annually about its economic, environmental and social performance.
Summary of finances
Greenpeace European Unit is funded by the European offices of Greenpeace. Globally, Greenpeace relies mostly on the voluntary donations of around three million individual supporters and on grant support from independent foundations. Auditors’ statement for Greenpeace European Unit 2022:
“We have audited the annual accounts of the association which comprise the balance sheet as at 31 December 2022, the profit and loss account for the year then ended and the notes to the annual accounts, characterized by a balance sheet total of EUR 1.175.963,98 and a profit account showing neither profit nor loss for the year. In our opinion, the annual accounts give a true and fair view of the association’s net equity and financial position as at December 31, 2022, as well as of its results for the year then ended, in accordance with the financial reporting framework applicable in Belgium.”
Clybouw Auditors – Antwerp, Belgium
Income and Operating Costs 2022
Total income (a) € 2,238,168.62
Total operating costs (b) € 2,238,168.62
Operating profit (a-b) € 0.00
Balance sheet 2022
Fixed capital assets (a) €35,669.93
Current floating assets (b) €1,140,294.05
Liabilities (c) €1,175,963.98
Total assets minus liabilities (a+b-c) €0
Governance
Greenpeace European Unit (EU) is a non-profit organisation under Belgian law (VZW, ASBL). Its general assembly consists of the executive directors and programme directors of Greenpeace’s European offices, as well as international development director of Greenpeace International.
The general assembly elects the board of Greenpeace EU from among its members.
For more information on how Greenpeace International is structured, please click here
Green 10
Greenpeace European Unit is a member of the Green 10, an informal association of environmental NGOs working at EU level. The Green 10 consists of the following organisations:
- Birdlife International
- CEE Bankwatch Network
- Climate Action Network (Europe)
- European Environmental Bureau
- Transport and Environment
- Health and Environment Alliance
- Friends of the Earth Europe
- Greenpeace European Unit
- International Friends of Nature
- WWF European Policy Office
ALTER-EU
Greenpeace European Unit is a signatory to the founding statement of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU), a coalition of NGOs, trade unions, academics and businesses calling for lobbying disclosure in Brussels, a code of conduct for EU officials and an end to privileged access to EU decision-makers for corporate interest groups.