As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at some of its incredible moments. 2022 was another difficult year worldwide. But thanks to the help of you – our dedicated supporters, brave volunteers and activists – we still have hope for a greener and better future.
We’ve taken action in so many ways, including: activists stopping an oil tanker from docking, campaigners placing more boulders to block destructive industrial fishing and 250, 000 people taking part in the Big Plastic Count.
The images featured are a small selection from the amazing photos captured around the world this year. But they show that people’s will to fight for the protection of our planet is unbroken.
Researching threatened Antarctic penguins and new ways to fund development in the Amazon
In January, Greenpeace’s ship Arctic Sunrise returned to the Antarctic. On board were a team of independent scientists from Stony Brook University in New York. They set out to investigate the impacts of the climate crisis on Antarctic penguin populations. These images give viewers a glimpse of rarely-visited penguin colonies, many of which had never been studied before.
In Brazil, Greenpeace campaigners started an expedition on the Manicoré River in June. The aim was to find new ways to fund development for the region based on forest potential, the knowledge of traditional and Indigenous populations, and promoting scientific research.
Protesting against fossil fuels and war in Ukraine
As war began in February, Greenpeace UK joined others globally to stand with the Ukrainian people. Campaigners began highlighting that fossil fuels were funding war and protests took place worldwide against oil imports from Russia.
In August, Austrian campaigners revisited the glacier they’d documented in 2019 during the Climate Impact Tour. Most glaciers in Austria are retreating. They have lost half of their ice in the last 100 years due to rising temperatures and different patterns in rain and snowfall.
These images show the Schlatenkees glacier in Tyrol lost about 60-100m in only 3 years. The scale of this loss has never been seen before.
Seizing fishing line and campaigning for ocean protection
In July, activists seized 30km of fishing line – just 2.5% of the total length – to stop destructive fishing in the North Atlantic. They released a near-threatened blue shark, seven swordfish and other marine life caught on the lines.
Just days after UK leaders failed to help secure the treaty, Greenpeace activists sailed off the coast of Cornwall to build another boulder barrier to stop bottom-trawl fishing.
Speaking up about environmental justice and standing with local and Indigenous communities
Conversation and action towards greater environmental justice happened throughout 2022.
In April, charities and members of the public joined with the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil at a protest in London. The protest coincided with the start of the Indigenous Land camp in the Brazilian capital. In June, thousands demanded justice for Bruno and Dom. Their deaths were the latest in a series of attacks against Indigenous Communities, their land and allies in the Amazon.
In November, before World Fisheries Day, the fishing community in Senegal protested against the fishmeal and fish oil industry. This industry has a devastating impact on the amount of fish in West African seas, on jobs and the food available for local communities.
Counting UK plastic waste and fast fashion research in Kenya
Nearly a quarter of a million people took part in May’s The Big Plastic Count – the first citizen science investigation into UK plastic waste.
The results were shocking: UK households throw away about 96 billion pieces of plastic packaging a year – with most ending up burned, in landfill or exported. Schoolchildren from across the UK, who took part in the count, went to Westminster to lobby their MP about tackling the plastic crisis.
Greenpeace also investigated the fast fashion industry, visiting places of production through to waste. Used and new clothes are sent to Kenya from Europe and China to be sold as so-called “Mitumba” (clothing bundles). But so much is sent that clothes often end up in landfill instead.
In October, campaigners interrupted Liz Truss’s televised speech to denounce the then-prime minister’s “shredding” of her party’s election manifesto. Her government had announced U-turns on fracking, strong climate action and world-leading environmental protections.
Climate justice continued as a theme for the world climate talks (COP27) in November. Each year, countries come together to agree on global action towards climate goals.
This year’s talks established a fund for loss and damage to start addressing the climate impacts already experienced by communities and countries around the world. But this was only a small step toward the climate action vitally needed, as negotiations failed to hold polluters to account.
As we close the year, we know how critical it is that we keep pushing for strong climate action. With your support, we’re able to investigate, take action and campaign for change. Nothing changes without you. So a massive thank you from everyone at Greenpeace!
All the bad news about the environment can be overwhelming. But if we work together, we can take on the world’s worst polluters and solve its biggest problems. This page is full of practical things you can do to help protect the environment, all designed by Greenpeace’s world-class campaign teams for maximum impact.
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Fears about the climate crisis getting the better of you? We asked Greenpeace staff what helps them navigate their worries about the environmental emergency. Here’s what they recommended.
