Successes

Our first ever campaign, launched with the founding of Greenpeace in 1971, ultimately resulted in a global ban of nuclear weapons testing. Since then, we’ve played a pivotal role in a number of successes on the way to a greener, juster and more peaceful world, including:

- the adoption of a ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries
- a moratorium on commercial whaling
- a United Nations convention providing for better management of world fisheries
- a Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
- a 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica
- bans on the dumping at sea of radioactive and industrial waste and disused oil installations and
- an end to large-scale driftnet fishing on the high-seas.

Below are just a few of the positive environmental changes that Greenpeace has helped to bring about in the last few years (for a more comprehensive list, have a browse through our history). Every one of these successes was made possible by the generous financial help of our supporters.

Bulb revolution sweeps into Argentina

Posted by jamie - 19 March 2008 at 4:53pm - Comments

A bulb display outside the Agentinean Congress Another country is well on the way to making the switch as last week Argentina joined the rapidly growing list of nation states getting ready to use only energy efficient light bulbs.

If the Argentinean president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gets her way, by the end of 2010 mandatory efficiency standards will be introduced which will effectively ban incandescent bulbs. Better yet, she said her decision came as a direct result of the campaign run by our office in Buenos Aires.

And earlier this year, Italy followed Ireland's example to become the second EU country to propose similar efficiency standards and is also expected to remove incandescents from sale in 2010. All these bulb bans are a small but vital step in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and introducing minimum energy efficiency standards on all electrical equipment has to be the ultimate goal.

Article tagged as: argentina, CFLs, climate change, energy, energy efficiency, light bulbs, successes

Ireland agrees to ban the bulb by 2009

Posted by jossc - 6 December 2007 at 4:39pm - Comments

Ban the Bulb! Greenpeace capaigning on the streets of Dublin.

Good news on the energy conservation front - Ireland will be the first EU country to ban energy-wasting incandescent lightbulbs.

The Irish government announced today that, as part of its national Carbon budget, the old-style power hungry bulbs will be banned from 2009. Greenpeace congratulates the Ireland on its decision to lead the world in this simple but essential step in tackling climate change.

Article tagged as: ban the bulb, climate change, co2 emissions, ireland, successes

Hachette makes it onto the good books

Posted by jamie - 16 November 2007 at 1:27pm - Comments

We've had some excellent news in the Book Campaign as Hachette Livre, the largest book publisher in the UK, have finally produced an environmental policy which includes some great commitments to making sure the paper they use will be forest-friendly. With imprints such as Hodder & Stoughton, Orion and Little Brown, they publish nearly one-fifth of all books sold in this country, so it's a very big deal.

Article tagged as: book campaign, books, deforestation, forests, FSC, hachette, paper, successes

Woolworths makes the switch: inefficient light bulbs out in 2010

Posted by jamie - 27 September 2007 at 3:22pm - Comments

Woolworths will be phasing out incandescent bulbs by the end of 2010

Great news. Woolworths have made a significant shift in their light bulbs policy and, as a result, are not longer bottom of the heap on our retailers league table.

After receiving thousands of emails and signatures from their customers (ie you) eager to see them take a lead on energy efficiency, Woolies will now be phasing out incandescent light bulbs by the end of 2010. It's not quite the 2008 date we were looking for, but never the less it's a massive improvement and they're now well ahead of many other companies such as Tesco and Waitrose. They're also cutting the price of their efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Article tagged as: climate change, energy efficiency, light bulbs, successes, woolworths

ASDA and Morrisons make a move on light bulbs

Posted by jamie - 26 July 2007 at 5:30pm - Comments

We're beginning to see the first positive results from the light bulb retailers league table we published nearly two weeks ago. Both ASDA and Morrisons have just announced they will improve their game plan and phase out those power-crazy incandescents by the end of 2010, which moves them a couple of places up the league table, leapfrogging several other retailers.