[2024 Annual Report] Volunteers and interns—partners in creating a bigger wave of change

Greenpeace conducts a wide range of activities to create opportunities for more people to participate in our campaigns. In 2024 we launched our Action Volunteer Team. Lots of people have joined Greenpeace’s activities, with everyone contributing their own unique ideas and skills.

‘Too Hot to Study’ classroom simulation—raising awareness about insulation

As global warming worsens, children are being exposed to extreme heat in school buildings without insulation. We held an event in Odaiba, Tokyo, from July 13 to July 15 entitled, “School Insulation Exhibition ~ Too Hot to Study”. The event simulated classroom temperatures, demonstrating how the temperature inside classrooms can be almost the same as outdoor temperatures, even with the air conditioning on. Passersby could experience the heat, and we handed out pamphlets about insulation retrofitting as a solution to high temperatures in classrooms. In response to this event, the issue of insulation in classrooms was featured in a total of 18 major Japanese and international media outlets and education related publications, helping to increase awareness about the importance of insulation in schools.

Greenpeace at Fuji Rock Festival ‘24

Greenpeace and the Zero Emissions Network participated in the NGO village in Japan’s largest outdoor music event, Fuji Rock. At our joint-booth with other environmental NGOs, we held an exhibition and hosted talk events about the climate crisis. Approximately 150 people visited the booth, and 170 people attended the talk session to learn about Greenpeace’s work. It was a great opportunity for us to engage with new people and to tell them about Greenpeace and the climate crisis. Fuji Rock is an outdoor event that is held in mid-summer, a season which has been getting hotter and hotter every year and is very susceptible to extreme weather events, so many of the participants were interested in learning more and taking action for climate change.

Shopping with reusable items—fun participatory event to learn about the plastics issue

We hosted an event, entitled ‘Experience shopping with reusable items with your family—transitioning from a disposable era to the age of reusing’, at the end of November in Meguro, Tokyo. This event was an opportunity for people to learn about environmental issues relating to plastic. 32 people participated, including parents with their children. During the event, participants watched a documentary about pollution from microplastics and then experienced ordering a take away lunch without using any disposable packaging. Participants explored restaurants in the area using the “Nakameguro Station Area Gourmet MAP” made by Greenpeace, and tried to see if they could purchase lunch using reusable containers provided by the stores, or their own containers that they had brought with them. Participants shared comments such as, “At first I was unsure, but once you’re used to it, it’s convenient not to have to carry the empty container around with you all the time. I would like to try it again”, or “It was surprisingly simple to have them put the food in the container that I brought with me”. The event proved to be a good opportunity for people to be able to take immediate, direct action to reduce plastic waste, after learning about the issue.

Intern Activities

The younger generation will be exposed to the effects of climate change for a longer period of time over their lives. During 2024, a total of 14 interns, aged from their teens to their 30s, worked alongside Greenpeace staff on campaigns. Interns were involved in various areas of our work, from community organizing to symposium/event planning, research, and creating documentation for various projects. Two interns, who were also active with other organizations or as individuals before joining Greenpeace, told us about their experiences with Greenpeace.