Campaign issues
Friends of the Earth International is an international membership organisation, with members spread across the world. Its advocacy programs focus on environmental, economic and social issues, highlighting their political and human rights contexts.
As per its website, the current campaign priorities of Friends of the Earth International are: [8] economic justice and resisting neoliberalism; forests and biodiversity; food sovereignty; and climate justice and energy. The campaign priorities of FOEI are set at its bi-annual general meeting. Additionally, FOEI also plans campaigns in other fields, such as waste and overcomsumption, international financial institutions, ecological debt, mining and extractive industries, and opposition to nuclear power. [8] [9] FOEI has campaigned for the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California. [10] FOEI also supports campaigns from the regions or member groups, such as the one on the consumption and intensive production of meat ( Meat Atlas ) by Friends of the Earth Europe. [11]
FOEI claims that it has been successful as it has eliminated billions in taxpayer subsidies to corporate polluters, reformed the World Bank to address environmental and human rights concerns, pushed the debate on global warming to pressure the U.S. and U.K. to attempt the best legislation possible, stopped more than 150 destructive dams and water projects worldwide, pressed and won landmark regulations of strip mines and oil tankers and banned international whaling. [12] Its critics claim that the organization tries only to obtain media attention (as by releasing the song "Love Song to the Earth"), but does not stay with locals to actually solve complicated problems, and that it prevents development in developing countries. They have also been critical of its policy to accept high levels of funding from companies and charities related to oil and gas. [13]
One of Friends of the Earth's most recent campaigns and legal battles was the "Shell Case", led by Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands). In 2021, a court in the Netherlands ruled in a landmark case that the oil giant Shell must reduce its emissions in 2030 by 45% compared to 2019 levels. This was the first time that a company had been legally obliged to align its policies with the Paris Agreement.
Structure of the network
The member organization in a particular country may name itself Friends of the Earth or an equivalent translated phrase in the national language, e.g., Friends of the Earth (US), Friends of the Earth (EWNI) (England Wales and Northern Ireland), Amigos de la Tierra (Spain and Argentina). However, roughly half of the member groups work under their own names, sometimes reflecting an independent origin and subsequent accession to the network, such as Pro Natura (Switzerland), the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Environmental Rights Action (FOE Nigeria) and WALHI (FOE Indonesia).
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is supported by a secretariat based in Amsterdam, and an executive committee known as ExCom. [14] The ExCom is elected by all member groups at a general meeting held every two years, and it is the ExCom which employs the secretariat. [15] At the same general meeting, overall policies and priority activities are agreed.
In addition to work which is coordinated at the FoEI level, national member groups are free to carry out their own campaigns and to work bi- or multi-laterally as they see fit, as long as this does not go against agreed policy at the international level.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity" and focuses its campaigning on worldwide issues such as climate change, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, anti-war and anti-nuclear issues. It uses direct action, advocacy, research, and ecotage to achieve its goals.
Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland is one of 75 national groups around the world which make up the Friends of the Earth network of environmental organisations. It is usually referred to as just 'Friends of the Earth' within its home countries.
Friends of the Earth (HK) Charity Limited is a Hong Kong based environmental organisation founded in 1983. Commonly known as Friends of the Earth (HK) or FoE (HK), it has a membership of more than 12,000 individuals.
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, or international level. Major anti-nuclear groups include Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Peace Action, Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. The initial objective of the movement was nuclear disarmament, though since the late 1960s opposition has included the use of nuclear power. Many anti-nuclear groups oppose both nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The formation of green parties in the 1970s and 1980s was often a direct result of anti-nuclear politics.
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland is a German non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to preserving nature and protecting the environment. The name means "German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation". Its subtitle Friends of the Earth Germany indicates that BUND is a member organisation of the international network Friends of the Earth (FoE).
The Indonesian Forum for Living Environment is an Indonesian environmental non-governmental organization, which is part of the Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) network.
Friends of the Earth U.S. is a non-governmental environmental organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., founded in 1969 by environmentalist David Brower. Friends of the Earth U.S. campaigns on issues including climate change, pollution, nuclear technology, genetic engineering, deforestation, pesticides, food and agriculture and economic policy. It is a founding member of Friends of the Earth International.
Milieudefensie is a Dutch environmental organisation, founded on 6 January 1971, by a group of scientists in response to a report by the Club of Rome. It performs research and brings out its own reports but has also developed into an action group, often operating together with other organisations, such as the political party GreenLeft, and is the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth. Milieudefensie is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe represents and unites at the European level.
Friends of the Earth Scotland is a Scottish charity and an independent member of the Friends of the Earth International network of 73 environmental organisations. It is one of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe represents and unites at the European level.
The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM) is a non-profit organization in South Korea that focuses on environmentalism.
Anti-nuclear organizations may oppose uranium mining, nuclear power, and/or nuclear weapons. Anti-nuclear groups have undertaken public protests and acts of civil disobedience which have included occupations of nuclear plant sites. Some of the most influential groups in the anti-nuclear movement have had members who were elite scientists, including several Nobel Laureates and many nuclear physicists.
Tom Burke CBE is a co-founder of E3G, Third Generation Environmentalism and currently chairs its Board. He is also a visiting Honorary Professor of Imperial and University Colleges, London and a Senior Associate of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). He has a long track record of experience with international environmental organisations working with and for both non-governmental and official bodies.
Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia is a federation of independent local groups working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. It believes that pursuing environmental protection is inseparable from broader social concerns, and as a result uses an environmental justice perspective in its campaigning. It was founded in 1974 and is the Australian member of Friends of the Earth International.
Wilmar International Limited is a Singaporean food processing and investment holding company with more than 300 subsidiary companies. Founded in 1991, it is one of Asia's leading agribusiness groups alongside the COFCO Group. It ranks amongst the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange (SGX), being the second largest as of September 2010. It was ranked 211th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2020. It was ranked 3rd in the World's Most Admired Company by Fortune in 2019.
Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). It includes 33 national organizations and thousands of local groups.
Priatelia Zeme – SPZ is a non-profit organisation protecting environment and nature in Slovakia and Europe since 1996. Priatelia Zeme – SPZ leads campaigns in the area of waste management and works on relating to waste, such as natural resources consumption, toxic substances use and disposal, effects of incinerators and packaging issues. They are independent from any government or political parties.
Pavlo Khazan is a Ukrainian scientist, politician, Lt. Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, participant in the Russian War in Ukraine, co-founder of the environmental monitoring system, and a Deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council .
Friends of the Earth – France is an association for the protection of people and the environment. It is one of 76 national groups around the world which make up the Friends of the Earth network of environmental organizations. The group is listed as an association under the French law of 1901 (Loi de 1901) and authorised to act for the protection of the environment in France by order of the Environment Minister. Friends of the Earth – France is independent of any economic, political and religious influences.
