What people really think about Greenpeace

Tens of thousands of you took part in our annual supporter survey. Here’s a roundup of the things that matter most to the people who make Greenpeace what it is.

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2021 has been a huge year for Greenpeace UK. From sailing up the Thames with a flotilla of sustainable fishermen, to touring a giant wind turbine blade around Scotland’s oil industry heartlands, Greenpeace campaigns have been making an impact and setting the agenda all year long. And we celebrated our 50th anniversary. It’s been a biggie. And we wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without you.

That’s why, each year, we send our supporters a survey to find out what you think. We want to know if you feel a part of the action and in what ways you’d like to get more involved. Tens of thousands of you responded so we took the time to go through your feedback and visualise some of the most interesting insights.

 

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The single greatest issue

When we asked what is the single most important issue for Greenpeace to work on, over half of you said the climate emergency. It’s not surprising given the wide-reaching impact climate change has on wildlife, oceans, vulnerable communities in the Global South and society as a whole. The interlinked issues of fossil fuel consumption and a green economy came in second and third, showing just how important systemic change is to our supporters. Find out more about the issues we work on below.

Find out more
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We make change happen

We asked how effective you think Greenpeace is at a range of tactics and the majority agreed: we’re good at what we do. Peaceful protest was seen as the most effective tactic, with political lobbying and online activism coming up tops too. Read more about the positive impact of peaceful protest, why it’s under attack and what you can do to protect our democratic rights below.

Protect our right to protest
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Nothing changes without you

We’ve grabbed headlines all around the world with our campaigns and victories, from Shell pulling out of oil-drilling project Cambo to the UK government committing to more marine protection. Our supporters told us that they feel involved in this change, with a significant portion of people saying they feel they’ve played a part in these moments. 2021 was also the 50th anniversary of Greenpeace and, amidst all that hard work, we took time to reflect on the last five decades and the enormous part you’ve played in making Greenpeace so effective.

50 years of victories
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Greenpeace = hope

We asked you to describe how Greenpeace makes you feel – an important way for us to understand how our supporters are responding to our work and what it means to them. ‘Hopeful’ was the most common adjective, with synonyms like ‘encouraged’ ‘grateful’ and ‘inspired’ showing the positive impact we’re having. The key to hope is to champion solutions as well as challenge problems. After all, all of the solutions already exist to the problems we’re facing – we just need our government to have the political will to make climate action a reality. Find out how you can get involved in being part of the solution.

Take action
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Your involvement

There are so many ways to take part with Greenpeace, from joining a Local Group to getting active with our Political Lobbying Network. But our supporters said they’re especially interested in attending talks by Greenpeace Speakers and, excitingly, taking part in peaceful direct action. There was also an appetite to support our campaigns by buying Greenpeace merch (read on to the end to see how you can buy yours) and spending more time on our website. So if you’re reading this, you’re in good company!

Get involved
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Our anti-racist commitments

In 2020, we published four commitments to improve the way we work on dismantling systemic racism. We remain dedicated to becoming strong allies of the anti-racism movement and explicitly, to expose the links between systemic racism and environmental abuse. Our supporters are too, with people saying we must do more to show the impact of the climate and nature emergencies on communities in the Global South and educate people on the links between environmental abuse and racial injustice. Watch our latest video which does just that.

Watch the video
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Be the change

A lot has happened in the last few years and it’s easy to feel disempowered. But disempowered people don’t try to change the world. That’s why it’s so important for us to check in with our supporters and provide ways to help them feel empowered. Despite all we’ve faced, over 70% of people said that Greenpeace makes them feel more optimistic about the future and that their own actions make a difference. We couldn’t be happier to learn that our supporters feel encouraged by our work. And as part of our 50th birthday celebrations, we created a Supporter Wall of Change to visualise the people who make our organisation what it is. Add your photo and leave a message to leaders and businesses about the world you want to see.

Add your photo
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Your favourite campaign tools

We asked what kind of online content you’d like to see more of and loads of you said investigative reports, a round-up of all the latest news, nature facts, explainer videos and lifestyle guides making an appearance too. Alongside more of those, in the future, you can also look forward to news stories from Unearthed, educational resources for young people and more useful guides like this one below, to name a few.

Download the guide to life

Thank you to everyone who took part in our supporter survey and shared your thoughts and feelings with us. This kind of feedback shapes the ways you can engage with our campaigns and is a crucial way to connect with the people at the heart of Greenpeace.

We don’t accept funding from governments, corporations or political parties – just ordinary people like you, so if you want to become part of the solution, join us today.

Connect with Greenpeace UK on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to get all the latest updates, or head to our online shop to grab some sustainable swag.

What's next?

Aerial view of Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, on the water at sunset. Between the sails is a large banner reading "Stop Failing Us". Hills can be seen in the background.

2022: nothing changes without you

The victories and power of this movement show us that together we can be unstoppable. And now, more than ever, we all need to bring all our energy, courage and creativity to this fight.

Realistic computer rendering shows an aerial view of ornate municipal buildings dwarfed by a gigantic pile of plastic waste. A red London bus drives down the road in the foreground.

2021: the year in pictures

2021 has been another tough year, full of uncertainties. But a green and peaceful future is possible, and together we kept up the fight for a better world. As always, these powerful campaigns produced some incredible images. Here’s a selection of the best, month-by-month.