This year we’ve been busy out in the field, read to find out about that we’ve been up to!
This year we have had a huge increase in our Creative Confrontation Unit’s capacity. Thanks to your support, we hired three new full-time staff members from other Greenpeace offices around the globe including a former Greenpeace captain! All three have plenty of experience in taking creative actions. Between our Whales Not Woodside and Electrify campaigns, we have put a great deal of effort into holding specific corporations accountable for their responsibility to the environment.
Holding Woodside to account in Western Australia
We organised a silent protest at Woodside’s AGM in April, inviting local school strikers to learn the ins-and-outs of banner painting (a more complex task than you’d imagine!), and in partnership with local groups in WA, organised a Paddle Out event at Fremantle Beach to rally the community to turn the tide on Woodside! Once we were at sea with the Rainbow Warrior, we also exposed Woodside for leaving toxic oil towers to rot in the ocean, which they have since said they will clean up.
Electrifying our engagement
As part of our Electrify campaign, we have been putting pressure on Australia’s biggest retailers to commit to switching their fleet to 100% electric cars and trucks, powered by wind and solar. Tactics for this so far have included delivering thousands of petition signatures to the head offices of the major supermarkets, and a national week of action flyering and surveying customers at retail stores. The Electrify policy team also held a lobby day at Parliament where volunteers met their local MPs to call for caps on pollution from new cars. The tactics were made possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers from across the country who generously donated their time to challenge Bunnings, Coles, Woolworths and Aldi and lobby for political action.
Keen to get involved in Non-Violent Direct Action with Greenpeace?
One of the great things about NVDA is that it is inclusive. There is a place for everyone at a Greenpeace action, and we’ll always make sure that you are never put too far out of your comfort zone. For example, there will be people needing to be driven somewhere, banners to be painted, and sandwiches to be made. Greenpeace also covers the expenses, fines, and legal fees for our activists!
If you, or someone you know is interested, head to our Volunteers sign up form! We’d love to see our Green Guardians taking part if you are able.
And as always, thanks to your legacy gift, we will be doing activism in your memory for a long time to come.
