Environmental organizations

From the late twentieth century onward, especially since the 1970s, worldwide awareness of environmental issues has been heightened by the work of hundreds of nongovernmental organizations established to promote research, influence public policy, and encourage citizen engagement in solving problems associated with the earth’s environment and ecosystems. Some of the most important of these organizations are briefly described below; asterisks on entries indicate organizations that are profiled in more depth in individual essays in this encyclopedia.

African Conservation Foundation (ACF) . Year founded: 1999. www.africanconservation.org. ACF focuses on protecting and conserving African wildlife by seeking to find workable approaches to managing natural resources that offer a balance between needs for development and conservation initiatives. The organization provides training, support, and assistance to groups that share similar aims. It also sponsors research and conservation projects in Africa and engages in fund-raising to promote awareness and support of these efforts. ACF has offices in several African countries and in the United Kingdom.

American Farmland Trust (AFT) . Year founded: 1980. farmland.org. AFT was founded by farmers and ranchers in the United States to help preserve farms and ranches, promote a healthy and sustainable environment, and build communities. It engages in lobbying activities and produces publications outlining problems associated with the loss of farm and ranch lands and suggesting solutions for retaining these resources. AFT has been influential in the passage of several state and federal laws governing farm and ranch preservation, including special provisions in the 1996, 2002, and 2008 farm bills passed by the U.S. Congress. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, AFT created an emergency relief fund in 2020 for small and mid-sized farmers.

Antinea Foundation . Year founded: 2007. The Antinea Foundation, based in Switzerland, supports research, education, and public awareness programs aimed at promoting conservation of the earth’s oceans and marine ecosystems. The current organization was formed from a merger of two Swiss groups, Association Pacifique and Association Antinea. The centerpiece of the foundation’s initiatives is a ten-year voyage of exploration and scientific research conducted aboard the Antinea Foundation’s ship Fleur de Passion, a converted German warship.

Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) . Year founded: 1989. www.aecb.net. Operating in the United Kingdom, AECB promotes building projects that respect and help preserve the environment. Its membership includes builders, designers, housing professionals, and government officials. The organization conducts seminars on green building practices, develops building standards and codes that enhance conservation and reduce harmful construction practices, and lobbies for implementation of rigorous requirements to reduce the impacts of new construction and renovation on the environment, especially standards that reduce harmful carbon emissions.

Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) . Year founded: 1979. www.aere.org. AERE is an association of academics, professionals from government agencies and private research organizations, and representatives of consulting firms who are committed to promoting the study of environmental and natural resource economics. The group sponsors workshops, conferences, and symposia as a means of sharing information and stimulating further investigation of the economic ramifications of environmental problems. A sister organization, the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, was established in 1990 and works toward the same ends.

Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) . Year founded: 1975. www.califaep.org. AEP draws its members from the fields of environmental planning, natural resources management, and environmental science. It promotes awareness of environmental issues, serves as a watchdog on governmental policies relating to the improvement or degradation of the environment, monitors the impacts of current legislation, and lobbies for changes to laws and policies to promote sustainability. The organization is also actively involved in helping members improve their skills as environmental activists and natural resource managers.

Australian Conservation Foundation . Year founded: 1966. www.acfonline.org.au. The Australian Conservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting the natural resources of Australia. The group’s chief interests are research, policy development, education, and advocacy. Over four decades, it has made significant contributions to conservation efforts targeted at the Great Barrier Reef as well as several endangered rivers and rainforests. It has campaigned against hazardous mining practices and encouraged environmentally responsible farming and land management. Since 1990, it has sought more active involvement with businesses to promote environmentally responsible development.

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) . Year founded: 1963. www.cpaws.org. CPAWS (also known as Société pour la nature et les parcs du Canada, or SNAP) is actively engaged in efforts to preserve the Canadian wilderness. The group monitors government and private activity in national and provincial parks, advocates for restricted development in natural environments, and promotes maintenance of healthy natural ecosystems. Annually it honors Canadians who have made notable contributions to conservation.

Center for Health, Environment, and Justice* (CHEJ) . Year founded: 1981. www.chej.org. Formerly known as Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste, CHEJ is a grassroots organization that engages citizens in campaigns to promote healthy communities through elimination of pollutants and creation of sustainable urban ecosystems.

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) . Year founded: 1989. www.ciel.org. CIEL is a nonprofit organization with offices in the United States and Switzerland. The organization uses international courts to regulate activities that might prove harmful to the environment. CIEL offers legal counsel, conducts policy research, engages in advocacy initiatives, and assists in building other groups’ capacities to make meaningful contributions to environmental causes. It also sponsors educational activities, most notably a curriculum in international environmental law at the American University in Washington, D.C.

Ceres* . Year founded: 1989. www.ceres.org. Ceres is a network of investors, environmental organizations, and other public interest groups working to address a variety of sustainability issues, including matters such as global climate change. market-based solutions which improve equity and advocating for federal policy changes.

Climate Project . Year founded: 2006. www.climaterealityproject.org/. Founded by former U.S. vice president and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore, the Climate Reality Project, formally the Climate Project, was designed to bring worldwide awareness to the growing problems associated with global warming and climate change. The organization sponsors lectures and seminars at which carefully trained presenters stress the urgency for action to reverse the damages of global warming. By 2009, the group had trained more than two thousand people to help deliver its message. The Climate Project has been the target of criticism from some observers who have expressed concerns that the organization presents an alarmist message that is not always rooted in sound science.

Comité de Liaison Energies Renouvelables (CLER) . Year founded: 1984. www.cler.org/. CLER is an advocacy and educational association made up of professionals from industry, commerce, architecture, building trades groups, and the academic community working collaboratively to promote sustainable energy for France. Members of CLER engage in educational programs to promote awareness of energy issues and garner support for projects that enhance the development of renewable energy resources.

Conservation International . Year founded: 1987. www.conservation.org. Based in the United States, Conservation International has been active in promoting projects to preserve the world’s biodiversity both on land and in marine environments. Working in nearly four dozen countries, the group has been active in sponsoring explorations of remote regions, where dozens of previously unknown species of animals and plants have been identified. The organization has engaged in lobbying efforts aimed at restricting activities harmful to natural ecosystems, but it has also worked to find solutions for allowing humans to live harmoniously within the natural environment.

Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) . Year founded: 1966. www.clf.org. CLF is a regional environmental advocacy group focused on issues affecting the northeastern United States. It has lobbied successfully to halt development that would have degraded several traditionally important natural areas in the region, such as New Hampshire’s White Mountains; has become involved in activities to clean up Atlantic coastal areas, several rivers, and Boston Harbor; has advocated for mass transportation as a means of reducing energy pollution; has fought against the proliferation of nuclear power; and has initiated collaborative efforts to combat global warming by rewarding companies that reduce emissions.

Earth First!* . Year founded: 1980. Earth First! is a radical advocacy group with branches in nearly twenty countries. It promotes direct action, including civil disobedience, to protect the environment from commercial efforts at development.

Earth Policy Institute (EPI) . Year founded: 2001. www.earth-policy.org. EPI, an advocacy group based in the United States, is primarily interested in raising public awareness about dangers facing the world’s population, among them environmental problems such as global warming and the loss of plant and animal species. Established to promote the ideas of environmentalist and activist Lester Brown, EPI publishes books and reports that lay out a vision of a sustainable environment, document current problems, and track efforts by governments and private groups in meeting attainable systemic changes.

Earthwatch Institute . Year founded: 1971. www.earthwatch.org. The Earthwatch Institute is an international organization that engages people in activities that help them understand what is required to create a sustainable natural environment. Operating from offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, the Institute sponsors research projects around the globe in which volunteers are encouraged to join professionals on expeditions where they can gather data on rainforest and marine ecology, wildlife conservation, and archaeology.

Energy Action Coalition . Year founded: 2004. www.powershift.org/. Energy Action Coalition is a network of more than fifty U.S. and Canadian environmental groups committed to raising awareness among college students regarding environmental problems facing the planet. Headquartered in the United States, the organization lobbies for changes to environmental law and policies and engages communities in efforts to deal with challenges posed by the deteriorating condition of the earth’s natural resources. The coalition encourages student involvement in numerous conferences, seminars, and lobbying efforts to get federal governments to reverse long-standing economic and environmental policies thought to favor development over conservation and sustainability of ecosystems.

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) . Year founded: 1984. eesi.org. EESI grew out of a program established by the U.S. Congress in 1975 to gather and disseminate information about environment and energy issues as a means of assisting lawmakers in developing sound policies. The group became an independent nonprofit in 1984 but continued to keep its focus on education and data collection. EESI sponsors congressional briefings, meetings, and seminars and issues publications that address the topics of global warming and air pollution. It endorses policies that promote energy security and rural economic development and encourages increased use of renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency. The organization also lobbies for the protection of areas such as the nation’s Arctic and coastal regions.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) . Year founded: 1967. edf.org. EDF has been one of the most effective and one of the most controversial environmental advocacy organizations in the United States. Growing from a grassroots movement to save endangered raptors in New York, EDF emerged as a national force lobbying for laws and policies that promote species conservation, clean water, and sustainable ecosystems. It claims to have been the driving force behind the U.S. ban on the use of the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and dangerous chemical compounds including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act, establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, and creation of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. Critics have charged, however, that EDF has often exercised little concern for human communities in its zeal to enforce tighter restrictions on the use of chemicals or improve natural ecosystems.

Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) . Year founded: 1968. edra.org. EDRA was founded in the United States to bring together design professionals, social scientists, facilities managers, and others interested in creating buildable spaces compatible with and respectful of the natural environment. Its members meet regularly to share scholarship and best practices, and EDRA publishes annual proceedings of the group’s meetings. EDRA has also established a number of awards to recognize individuals, organizations, and projects that demonstrate commitment to best practices in environmental management.

Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) . Year founded: 1992. www.efasl.org. Although founded in the United Kingdom, EFA is based in West Africa and has as its principal focus the protection and improvement of that region. EFA works locally to sponsor community involvement in projects to improve environmental quality. The organization promotes awareness of environmental problems, provides technical assistance in creating solutions to those problems, serves as an advocacy group in lobbying for funding and policy changes that will help preserve or improve the environment of the region, and organizes networks of environmental organizations, government agencies, and private funding groups to bring about change that will improve the lives of the people of West Africa while respecting the natural world in which they live.

Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) . Year founded: 1984. www.eia-international.org. Based in the United Kingdom and the United States, EIA is an activist organization that funds undercover investigations to identify violations of environmental law and expose animal cruelty. EIA has been successful in focusing a spotlight on illegal logging activities in Southeast Asia, securing a ban on the illegal trade in tiger parts (particularly in China and India), lobbying for a cessation of commercial whaling, and revealing the extent of illegal trading in hazardous chemicals. Using evidence gathered in its investigations, EIA has lobbied effectively for stricter laws governing environmental issues in numerous countries.

Environmental Protection UK (EPUK) . Year founded: 1898. www.environmental-protection.org.uk. Originally the Coal Smoke Abatement Society and known for years as the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection, EPUK is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving air quality in the United Kingdom. It has also been active in efforts to reduce noise pollution and has campaigned to protect and rehabilitate land areas. EPUK lobbies for stronger environmental standards, particularly in the area of air quality, and provides assistance to local governments in achieving those standards.

European Environmental Bureau (EEB) . Year founded: 1974. eeb.org. EEB is a federation made up of more than 140 environmental groups from all member countries of the European Union (EU). Organized principally to provide a unified and strong voice for representing the interests of environmentalists, EEB provides information on environmental issues to its members and to officials of individual European governments and the EU Parliament and its subsidiaries. It also represents member organizations in lobbying before these government bodies on pending legislation or on issues that EEB believes require government action to protect or rehabilitate the region’s natural resources.

Friends of the Earth International* (FOEI) . Year founded: 1969. foei.org. FOEI is an international network of environmental organizations with affiliates in seventy-seven countries. The organization is dedicated to challenging environmentally unsound government policies and to promoting initiatives that will sustain and improve ecosystems worldwide.

Global Witness . Year founded: 1993. globalwitness.org. Global Witness is an international nonprofit organization whose aim is to investigate and expose criminal activities and irresponsible behaviors that damage natural resources and have negative impacts on the quality of life for people in impoverished areas of the globe. Operating out of offices in the United States and the United Kingdom, Global Witness uses information gathered in its investigations to lobby governments for changes to policies that harm the environment and perpetuate poverty.

Green Belt Movement . Year founded: 1977. www.greenbeltmovement.org. The Green Belt Movement, established in Kenya by activist Wangari Maathai, is a grassroots organization aimed at getting people, especially women, directly involved in conservation efforts. It has sponsored the planting of trees across the country as a means of replenishing resources used for subsistence by Kenya’s rural population. During the 1980s the program expanded to other countries in Africa, and Green Belt officials began actively engaging in efforts to protest irresponsible development in the region.

Greenpeace* . Year founded: 1971. www.greenpeace.org/international. Greenpeace is an international organization with affiliates in more than forty countries. It supports research and encourages lobbying efforts to identify and promote sustainable ecosystems, but it has also engaged in direct action to stop activities considered harmful to the environment.

Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement, et Solidarités (GERES) . Year founded: 1976. geres.eu. GERES is a French nongovernmental organization working in France, Africa, and Asia to provide technical expertise to improve environmental conservation efforts, mitigate the effects of climate change, and improve lives through sustainable development activities. It promotes access to and efficient use of energy, develops plans for environmentally friendly waste management, and works to combat climate change. Its members work through local partnerships to facilitate environmental management and development of resources for indigenous populations.

International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE) . Year founded: 1992. www.inforse.org. Headquartered in Denmark, INFORSE is a network of environmental organizations working to promote sustainable energy, protect the environment, and decrease poverty. An outgrowth of the 1992 Earth Summit, INFORSE works through regional offices in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas to help develop programs aimed at transitioning the world’s economies to 100 percent renewable energy sources by the year 2050. INFORSE has been active in creating public awareness of energy issues and in collaborative efforts with other organizations to establish and enforce standards relating to energy production and use.

International Union for Conservation of Nature* (IUCN) . Year founded: 1948. www.iucn.org. IUCN is dedicated to promoting the conservation of natural resources; its principal focus has been on identifying endangered species and promoting efforts to prevent extinctions.

Izaak Walton League . Year founded: 1922. www.iwla.org. The Izaak Walton League was founded by American sportsmen to promote protection of natural resources, especially rivers and lakes. The group has lobbied for programs to preserve and rejuvenate America’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, and wilderness areas. It was instrumental in the creation of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in 1924 and the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Over the years the organization has also lobbied against illegal logging and for legislation to protect endangered species.

League of Conservation Voters* (LCV) . Year founded: 1969. www.lcv.org. LCV is an educational and advocacy group in the United States that lobbies to elect candidates to office who are likely to support environmental issues.

National Audubon Society* . Year founded: 1905. www.audubon.org. The National Audubon Society is a conservancy group noted for its advocacy of programs aimed at the preservation of bird species and habitats. It has been active in supporting bans on harmful chemicals and in creating wildlife sanctuaries.

National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) . Year founded: 1990. ncseonline.org. Originally known as the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment, NCSE is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that works to assist policy makers responsible for making decisions about the environment by providing scientific data that they can use in forming judgments. NCSE supports research, disseminates information, and operates public education and outreach programs to communicate to the public accurate, scientifically based information about the environment.

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) . Year founded: 1936. www.nwf.org. Originally known as the General Wildlife Federation, NWF is the largest environmental educational and advocacy group in the United States. The federation’s principal aims are to connect individuals with the natural world, protect and restore critical wildlife habitats, and work toward reversing trends in global warming. NWF members come from a wide variety of interests—sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, environmentalists, and others—but work collaboratively to find ways to balance the needs of human communities with those of the natural world. The group sponsors a number of educational activities, information programs, and conferences and has also partnered with other conservation organizations on a number of important environmental projects.

Natural Resources Defense Council* (NRDC) . Year founded: 1970. www.nrdc.org. NRDC is an advocacy group that has operated principally in the United States but has also branched out to other countries; it engages in lobbying activities and occasionally takes legal action to promote sound environmental policy or seek the prohibition of activities it considers detrimental to the environment.

Naturfreunde International (NFI) . Year founded: 1895. www.nf-int.org/en. NFI (also known as Friends of Nature) is an international organization founded as an offshoot of the Social Democratic movement in Europe to promote appreciation for and responsible use of the region’s natural resources. NFI initially encouraged recreation and tourism as a means of stimulating people to become familiar with the natural world; over time the organization has become effective and insistent in lobbying for responsible conservation and sustainable development, especially for regions that cross political boundaries.

Naturschutzbund Deutschland . Year founded: 1899. www.nabu.de. Naturschutzbund Deutschland (also known as the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) is one of Germany’s oldest and most widely respected conservation groups, a private nonprofit that works on conservation projects both within Germany and outside the country’s borders. The group publishes periodic reports to inform the public about environmental issues, conducts education programs, and works closely with governmental agencies in crafting laws and policies affecting the environment.

Ocean Conservancy . Year founded: 1972. www.oceanconservancy.org. Known as the Center for Marine Conservation until 2001, the Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that is interested in preserving and improving the world’s marine resources. The group works to promote healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems and opposes practices that it considers to be threats to both marine and human life. The Ocean Conservancy has been active in efforts to restore sustainable American fisheries, protect wildlife from human activities, and encourage government reforms that can bring about improved stewardship for the oceans.

VedvarendeEnergi . Year founded: 1975. www.sustainableenergy.dk/. SustainableEnergy (also known as VedvarendeEnergi) is an association of individuals, business groups, and educational institutions working to promote renewable energy for Denmark. Often associated with the antinuclear movement, OVE has initiated grassroots campaigns to lobby the Danish government to restrict the use of nonrenewable energy sources and support the development of energy sources that can be replenished. The organization conducts informational campaigns and has become involved in cooperative efforts with other environmental groups to tackle issues such as climate change and global warming.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals* (PETA) . Year founded: 1980. www.peta.org. PETA is the largest animal rights group in the world; it campaigns against various forms of animal cruelty, including exploitation of animals in medical research, entertainment, and the use of animals as food for humans.

Rainforest Action Network* (RAN) . Year founded: 1985. ran.org. RAN is an environmental group concerned principally with issues surrounding the sustainability of the world’s forests; it has engaged in campaigns to pressure corporations to refrain from activities that would deplete habitat or permanently alter the condition of forest terrains worldwide.

Sierra Club* . Year founded: 1892. www.sierraclub.org. The Sierra Club promotes responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and engages in educational initiatives and lobbying activities to promote conservation and responsible use of natural resources.

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) . Year founded: 1989. sei.org. Although established by the government of Sweden, SEI is an independent organization performing research and developing policies that promote sustainable environments. It has offices in six countries in addition to Sweden, giving it an international reach. SEI researchers focus on overarching issues such as climate change, energy systems, ecosystem vulnerability, and governance issues, as well as specific matters such as water resources and air pollution. The group has influenced governmental policies through its work on sustainability modeling and vulnerability assessments.

Tellus Institute . Year founded: 1976. www.tellus.org. The Tellus Institute, headquartered in the United States, has focused on scientific investigation to advance what it sees as a necessary transition to a sustainable, equitable, and humane global civilization. With funding from a variety of sources, including governments, nongovernmental agencies, and corporations, Tellus Institute researchers have produced reports on topics such as water quality, energy issues, requirements for sustainable communities, corporate social responsibility, and climate change. The institute has consistently sought to promote what it calls the “Great Transition,” a paradigm shift in cultural values away from materialism and consumerism to a greater sense of global citizenship in which individual fulfillment can be achieved in societies that provide sufficiently for all their members.

Union of Concerned Scientists* (UCS) . Year founded: 1969. www.ucsusa.org. UCS, which was founded by researchers to investigate the scientific ramifications of government policies regarding the environment, promotes research and lobbying on a wide range of issues, including energy policy, climate change, and developments in technology, especially military technology, that may potentially affect the environment.

U.S. Climate Action Partnership* (USCAP) . Year founded: 2007. USCAP is an umbrella organization uniting efforts of businesses and environmental groups to encourage government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Wetlands International . Year founded: 1954. www.wetlands.org. Wetlands International, a conservation group headquartered in the Netherlands, began as the International Wildfowl Inquiry, dedicated to the protection of waterfowl. It gradually broadened its focus to include protection of wetlands and changed its name to International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB). In 1991, this group merged with the Asian Wetland Bureau and Wetlands for the Americas and assumed its current name. Wetlands International works to protect and restore the world’s wetlands through scientific investigation, educational programs, and advocacy initiatives to influence government policy regarding these areas.

Wilderness Society* . Year founded: 1935. wilderness.org. The Wilderness Society is an American group devoted to the preservation and responsible use of the nation’s wilderness areas; it monitors policies and activities related to government-owned areas such as national forests and areas controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) . Year founded: 1995. www.wbcsd.org. The WBCSD, formed by a merger of the Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Industry Council for the Environment, is an association of more than two hundred companies interested in the relationship between business and the environment. Headquartered in Switzerland with offices in the United States and Belgium, the WBCSD promotes eco-friendly business practices and lobbies governments for policy changes that will help bring about both sustainable environments and economies. Group members operate on the philosophy that responsible policies regarding the environment are ultimately good for business as well.

World Resources Institute* (WRI) . Year founded: 1982. www.wri.org. WRI is a think tank based in Washington, D.C., whose members are concerned with protecting the earth’s ecosystems and simultaneously enhancing people’s lives. The group unites scientists and business leaders to conduct research, provide information to the public, and promote environmentally responsible development that improves communities worldwide.

Worldwatch Institute* . Year founded: 1974. The Worldwatch Institute is a research organization that collects and disseminates data on issues such as climate change, degradation of natural resources, and population growth in order to promote sustainable development.

World Wide Fund for Nature* (WWF) . Year founded: 1961. wwf.panda.org. Originally known as the World Wildlife Fund, WWF is an international organization that encourages conservation of natural resources (both animal and plant) and fosters sustainable development; it has actively promoted the harmonious relationship of humans with natural ecosystems worldwide.

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