Member highlights 2021
STOP AKW Krško
nuclear plant!
AUSTRIA
Friends of the Earth Austria / GLOBAL 2000 and Friends of the Earth Slovenia / FOCUS joined forces to fight for an environmental impact assessment of the Krško nuclear power plant. Working with their partners and supporters, Friends of the Earth Austria got both Austrian and Italian politicians to advocate for a shutdown. They started a petition, visited the plant, and initiated direct actions for a future-friendly energy transition. Their efforts are bearing fruit: the approval is delayed, the plans are being carefully reviewed. The struggle is not over. Not until we finally say “Bye Bye AKW Krško!”.
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Check the
banks out
Austria
Friends of the Earth Austria / GLOBAL 2000 published their first Bank Check, an important tool for environmentally conscious consumers. This guide takes a look at banks’ commitments to sustainability. Is money invested into renewable energies or used to finance a nuclear or coal-fired power plant? Unfortunately, the report revealed that none of the featured banks is seriously acting in the sense of a socio-ecological transformation. Empty promises won’t fool us!
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A question of
solidarity
Belgium (Brussels and Wallonia)
As part of the project ‘Europe in Solidarity’, Friends of the Earth Belgium Wallonia / Les Amis de la Terre gave the opportunity to young adults to question members of the European Parliament. The youth participants took part in workshops and discussions. They explored local food and agriculture, climate transition, ecofeminism, and other subjects. At the end of each session, the participants could make a video for MEPs. The citizen’s journey allowed everyone to understand better the global context and the role of the European Union – an essential step toward active citizenship.
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Springs of the
Sana River protected
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina / Centar za životnu sredinu celebrated a long-awaited decision to grant the Sana river protected status as a Natural Monument. Their fight to win protection for the river began when it was announced that a hydro power plant would be constructed on it. The hydro station was built in the end, but Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina never gave up. With determination, they obtained new protected area status and stopped plans for more devastating projects on the Sana River.
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Rivers
protected
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Friends of the Earth Bosnia & Herzegovina helped protect the local brown bear population through the first-ever genetic research project into the species. Nature diversity in the region is under threat from political, economic and environmental pressures. There is an urgent need to understand and preserve species and habitats, and promote a traditional way of life in which humans and animals coexist. The research project resulted in a new plan to manage and monitor the brown bear population.
Multiplying
zero waste cities
Croatia
Friends of the Earth Croatia / Zelena Akcija has been working on the issue of waste management since its formation. With its help, seven local municipalities on Krk Island acquired the candidacy status for ‘Zero waste city’ – a first step towards full certification of best practices in the European Union. Friends of the Earth Croatia have already assisted assisted the City of Prelog (and 11 neighboring municipalities) to obtain the status of the first Croatian ‘Zero waste city’. The journey is not over: the aim is now to make Krk the first zero waste island in Europe!
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The right to
clean air
Bulgaria
Sofia city authorities cannot stay inactive regarding air quality! Friends of the Earth Bulgaria / Za Zemiata, with three partner civil society organisations, and three local citizens, filed a class action lawsuit against the town with the help of four lawyers, 155 donations from individuals, and numerous supporters. Four years of legal proceedings later, the court acknowledged that the municipality had allowed excessive emissions of fine particulate matter which had led to health risks for residents. The municipality is now obliged to take specific effective measures to improve air quality. This campaign raised public awareness of the poor air quality in the city and showed that citizens can, through collective action, enact their rights to clean air and a clean environment.
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Teaching municipalities
to reduce waste
Czechia
Friends of the Earth Czechia / Hnutí DUHA has been motivating municipalities to reduce their waste for many years. To assist the village of Veselíčko, they performed analyses and prepared a plan for the mayor to improve recycling and sorting. Together with NGO Zero Waste Europe, they developed materials to help towns to implement zero waste strategies. They aspire to expand their project to many municipalities and companies across Czechia in the years to come.
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Degrowth
summer school
Estonia
Is degrowth the answer to unrestricted development? The Degrowth summer school, organized by Friends of the Earth Estonia / Eesti Roheline Liikumine, asked this question. During four days, 30 participants exchanged views with recognised experts on the logic of eternal economic growth and on the possibility of a democratically-led reduction of production and consumption. The discussions focused on solutions and existing projects that bring us closer to environmental sustainability, social justice, and prosperity.
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Climate hearing
goes viral
Estonia
Madis Vasser, an advocacy expert from Friends of the Earth Estonia / Eesti Roheline Liikumine, had the opportunity to question Estonia’s climate targets in the Parliament. The discussion was brought about by a petition launched by Friends of the Earth Estonia and two other organisations calling for urgent climate action. The groups believe that the country’s targets are too modest given that it has declared a climate emergency. A part of the hearing went viral, attracting attention for the wrong reasons, when a Member of Parliament failed to ask his question and was seen on screen smoking in bed. Although concerning, this episode had the upside of reaching more people with the debate and introducing them to the concept of swift climate action.
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Victory for
breathable air
France
Friends of the Earth France / Les Amis de la Terre achieved a historic victory in its fight for breathable air. The French state was fined 10 million euros for failing to comply with European air quality standards in several metropolitan areas. Every six months, the amount of the fine will be re-evaluated and enforced until the government finally complies with the standards. This sum is set to be donated to public bodies and organisations who aim to reduce air pollution. According to estimations, air pollution causes 48,000 to 100,000 premature deaths in France every year. This is an important battle, and the win is a great step towards cleaner air in France.
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Bank industry
on the spot
France
Société Générale, one of the largest banks in France, withdrew from two highly polluting projects in Canada following tireless campaigning by Friends of the Earth France / Amis de la Terre and ANV-COP21. But despite this significant decision, the company is still carrying out similar projects in the US. The struggle is far from being over! Meanwhile, Friends of the Earth France intends to push French banks to undertake steps towards the development of carbon-free energy.
The Rioni river:
safe for now
Georgia
Friends of the Earth Georgia / The Greens Movement of Georgia took an active role in proceedings surrounding the the Namakhvani Hydropower plant. The plant threatens the safety of the population and pristine ecosystems. Campaigners identified risks and shortcomings of the plans, analysed environmental decisions, and organised protests. They made information regarding the project available to the public, which was previously kept in the dark. And with help from the Friends of the Earth network, they created a petition addressed to the Georgian government calling for contruction to be cancelled. Due to the sustained protests and pressure the 90% shareholder, Turkish corporation ENKA, pulled out. The construction plans have been shelved. The river is safe – for now.
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10,000 kilometres
for climate justice
Hungary
Nearly 7000 people joined the World Climate March campaign to promote climate justice before the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow. In Hungary alone local activists walked more than 10,000 kilometres! Friends of the Earth Hungary / Magyar Természetvédok Szövetsége echoed the message through their young climate ambassadors who participated in COP26 and reported about it the media.
Two harmful
projects down,
one in the balance
Hungary
Thanks to determination from Friends of the Earth Hungary / Magyar Természetvédok Szövetsége, nature and local communities are protected. They took legal action to stop destructive construction projects near the precious Lake Balaton. With other NGOs they put an end to the development of fossil fuel drilling in a national park, near residential buildings. And, as a consequence of their complaint to the European Investment Bank, a bank is rethinking its loan for the expansion of Budapest Airport.
World-leading
Climate Law
Ireland
After a 14 year campaign led by Friends of the Earth Ireland, Ireland passed a strong climate law, which has been described as an example of international best practice. The Act for Climate Campaign spanned seven Ministers for the Environment, five Governments and nine drafts. It involved hundreds of partner organisations and allies, and thousands of supporters. The final text is a testament to the perseverance and commitment of Friends of the Earth Ireland’s staff team and supporters, who succeeded in the face of agribusiness and other polluting interests lobbying.
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Just Transition
Champions training
programme
Ireland
Friends of the Earth Ireland initiated the Just Transition Champions training programme for community and youth work practitioners working with marginalized communities. Working with Community Work Ireland, as part of the System:Reset project, the programme equipped the participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools to empower young people to engage with climate justice. Youth multiplier workshops took place across Ireland with various communities. The story is to be continued: Friends of the Earth Ireland partnered with two other organisations to expand the training programme into a three-year project!
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Youth camp
at Majjistral
Nature Park
Malta
As part of System:Reset, Friends of the Earth Malta together with Generation (Change?) hosted a youth camp at the beautiful Majjistral Nature and History Park. More than 20 young people from all areas of Malta came together to participate. The activities covered team-building tasks and discussions on sustainability-related topics and allowed everybody to think about the role they can play in tackling the climate crisis. By the end of the weekend, the group had not only learned more about nature and the environment, but had also found hidden interests and passions.
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Victory against
Shell
Netherlands
In a world first, a judge forced a polluting company to align its business plans with the goals of the Paris climate agreement! This story comes from the huge win in the Climate Case against Shell. Friends of the Earth Netherlands / Milieudefensie started to build the case in 2018 – together with six other organisations and more than 17 000 co-plaintiffs. The oil and gas company now has to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. Because of this victory, more climate cases are following in other countries to hold big polluters responsible, and the lawyer Roger Cox was nominated for the Time people of the year.
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Justice for
Nigerian farmers
over Shell
Netherlands
Justice at last. After a 13-year long legal battle, Friends of the Earth Netherlands / Milieudefensie won an historic court case against Shell. The judge ruled that the multinational oil and gas company has to pay compensation to four Nigerian farmers who represent a community whose land and livelihoods were wrecked by an oil spill. Shell also has to clean up its mess in the affected area – which is still contaminated all these years later. It was the first time in history that a judge held the head office of a multinational corporation responsible for damage done by its subsidiaries abroad.
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People power
wins over
Cambo!
Scotland
People power forced the oil giant Shell to pull out of plans for the huge new Cambo oil field off Scotland. For the first time, the Scottish Government said no to a new oil and gas project in the North Sea. Opposition to the oil field took many forms: 90,000 people writing to the UK government, creative demonstrations right across the UK, huge media attention, and scientists, climate groups and politicians speaking out against the proposal. This is a big win for the campaign but the work for Friends of the Earth Scotland isn’t finished yet. The project must be officially rejected and the UK Government must stop giving licences out to new fossil fuel projects.
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A historic win
for water
Slovenia
When the Slovenian government introduced a new Water Act through an undemocratic and non-transparent law-making process, Slovenian civil society responded in force. The proposed Act endangered the sea, streams, rivers, lakes, drinking water, and important wildlife spots, by allowing construction on and next to water. Friends of the Earth Slovenia / Focus joined the Movement for Drinking Water, a coalition of NGOs, civil-society organisations, and experts against the planned Act. They became one of the 32 official organisers of a referendum campaign. The coalition mobilised grassroots communities to collect signatures and to encourage participation in the referendum. The result was a landslide! 86% of people voted against the harmful Act. It was the first such high-profile campaign run on a low budget,and the high participation of younger voters was especially encouraging. A historic win for water!
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The potential
of energy
communities
Spain
Friends of the Earth Spain / Amigos de la Tierra launched a new report showing the potential of local energy communities. The research shows that if local communities were to produce and use their own renewable energy, they could cover 100% of electricity demand of the domestic and tertiary sectors in Spain, which equates to 60% of the total electricity demand. Thanks to this work Friends of the Earth Spain is now one of the main references for community energy in Spain, and the Spanish community power coalition, which comprises dozens of organisations, is stronger than ever.
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Iconic education
centre given
World Heritage
Cristal award
Switzerland
After several months of renovation work, Friends of the Earth Switzerland / Pro Natura’s iconic education and visitors’ Centre Aletsch re–opened. The centre is situated in Riederalp, right next to the famous Aletsch glacier and forest, one of the oldest and most remarkable nature reserves in Switzerland. While keeping its old charm and beauty, the centre has become an example of an energy resilient building. UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Foundation awarded the project by the ‘World Heritage Cristal ‘, recognising its contribution to sustainability. The new attractive exhibition space now displays an innovative presentation about climate change, glacier melting and the energy transition. Visitors, the nature centre is waiting for you!
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Activists meet
indigenous youth
from Brazil
Sweden
At the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Txai Suruí, a representative for the indigenous youth of Brazil, was invited to give an opening speech. In it she talked about the difficult situation of the indigenous peoples in the Amazon. Subsequently, Friends of the Earth Sweden / Jordens Vänner invited Txai Suruí and her team to their country for a programme of meaningful conversations with activists. The trip ended with a talk with Greta Thunberg in Stockholm. Following these events and exchanges, one demand stood out: people must be invited to take part in the decisions that affect them.
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For sustainable
public pension
funds
Sweden
According to the law, public pension funds must invest responsibly to promote sustainable development. Still, in Sweden, the funds invest in companies that are accused of human rights violations and contribute to environmental and climate damage. Friends of the Earth Sweden / Jordens Vänner, together with 22 other Swedish civil society organizations and 3000 individuals, submitted a formal complaint to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the Swedish public pension fund. So far the campaign has resulted in media coverage, meetings with parliamentarians, and increased public pressure and awareness. Campaigners are determined to get the public pension funds invested responsibly.
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Climate
Info Kit
Russia
Friends of the Earth Russia / RSEU created a Climate Info Kit for people interested in climate-friendly solutions in sectors such as transport, waste management, and renewable energy. The kit examines solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. It also includes examples of successful solutions from Nordic countries, which have similar climatic conditions to Russia. The Info Kit has proved really popular and has become a well-used source of advice for those who wish to promote climate-friendly solutions.
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In the name
of the Ministry
Luxemburg
Friends of the Earth Luxemburg / Mouvement Ecologique and other national NGOs published an announcement in the largest national newspapers in the name of the Ministry of Sustainable Agriculture. The spoof announcement stated that, because of massive loss of biodiversity, the next plan farming in the country would focus solely on sustainable action. All countries must submit a ‘national strategic plan‘ for their implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. The announcement definitely got the attention of the Luxemburgish government – which took the groups to court for the illegal use of the ministry’s logo! Let’s hope that political actors address the substantive sustainability arguments and recommendations put forward, not only their branding.
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Future of Europe
Climate justice and energy
Corporate power
Food, farming and nature
Resource justice
