Frequently asked questions

Greenpeace is a global environmental campaigning organisation that began over 50 years ago in Canada in 1971. Today, it has a network of 25 offices in 55 countries around the world. Greenpeace aims to build a sustainable future and protect the planet and all its forms of life. It aims to do so through a combination of campaigning and non-violent direct action.

Read more about Greenpeace and the history of Greenpeace.

Greenpeace aims to create a green and peaceful future. Our mission is to ensure Earth’s ability to sustain life in all its diversity. Greenpeace uses a combination of non-violent direct action, creative confrontation and campaigning to achieve this.

Greenpeace is a global network of 25 independent national/regional organisations located in over 55 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating body, Greenpeace International.

Many of our campaigns are coordinated by teams that are located in different countries and from different offices. These campaigns often cross national boundaries and even focus on areas like Antarctica and international waters where there is little regulation.

Greenpeace Aotearoa often works with people from Greenpeace in other regions and plays a part in global campaigns such as the effort to establish a network of global ocean sanctuaries and stop deep sea mining in international waters.

In November 2020, Greenpeace New Zealand officially changed its name to Greenpeace Aotearoa. Greenpeace is committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. A green and peaceful future cannot be achieved without respect for indigenous rights. The name change is an acknowledgement of this.

You can read more about why we changed our name or read our Te Tiriti o Waitangi policy.

No. Greenpeace is an independent and non-partisan environmental organisation. Greenpeace Aotearoa is not affiliated with the Green Party or any other political party.

Yes. Greenpeace is a charity in Aotearoa New Zealand. Greenpeace Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register (registration CC58459).

Read more about Greenpeace Aotearoa’s court battle to become a charity.

Greenpeace campaigns on a variety of environmental issues worldwide. Here in Aotearoa, Greenpeace focuses on 3 main areas:

• Protecting the Oceans – The oceans are home to over half of all life on earth. But human activity is increasingly causing damage to these fragile ecosystems. We’re campaigning to reduce harmful fishing practices, create global ocean sanctuaries and stop mining corporations from destroying the ocean floor for profit.

• Tackling agricultural pollution – Industrial dairy is New Zealand’s biggest polluter. As the number of dairy cows increases, so does the harm caused to our water, land and climate. We’re campaigning to increase regulations that will protect freshwater, reduce harmful emissions and make farming more sustainable.

• Ending plastic pollution – Every year, over a billion plastic bottles are thrown away in New Zealand. We’ve already made steps to reduce plastic pollution by banning single use plastic bags. We’re campaigning to do even more, by banning plastic bottles, getting a global plastics treaty signed and forcing corporations to switch to reuse & refill solutions.

Read more about how we’re campaigning for change.

There are lots of different ways that you can join Greenpeace. If you’d like to give your time, check out our current job listings or sign up as a volunteer. You can also become a financial supporter by making a donation or becoming a regular donor. Our campaign work often requires our supporters to take action and demand change. Sign up to our mailing list to find out more ways you can support our campaigns.

All our current job, volunteering and internship listings can be found here. We often need support through petitions and protests. Sign up to get notified of upcoming Greenpeace activity to get involved in.

While Greenpeace focuses on the big issues, anyone can lead change on a local level. Often, they are the best placed to do so as well.

Greenpeace Community is a petition platform which hosts, nurtures, and promotes community-led campaigns across Aotearoa. If there’s an environmental issue you need to mobilise your community around, the Greenpeace Community platform is available to start a campaign today.

In your region you’ll know the key issues and solutions to the environmental challenges. You’ll have your ear to the ground and have a network around you. You can meet directly with the local people, local iwi, and elected representatives. Media are often interested in speaking directly with the people most affected.

The Greenpeace crew will be on hand to answer any questions and offer advice from our experience.

Start a petition today! Gather together like-minded people who are passionate about your cause. Make the change you see is needed in the world. We’ll be with you each step of the way.

As much as we’d love to get more involved in the education space, we don’t have enough resources to do so whilst also campaigning for the environment.

We have lots of content available online about our campaigns and environmental issues. Check out our blogs or our YouTube channel. For information on the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, check out our in-depth educational resource.

Yes! Our website contains a wealth of educational content on environmental issues, both in Aotearoa and globally. Check out our blogs or our YouTube channel.

For more information on Greenpeace Aotearoa, you can read about our history or our victories.

For information on the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, check out our in-depth educational resource.

Our press releases contain recent updates on environmental issues and our campaigns. Or join our mailing list to keep up to date with Greenpeace’s fight to protect our planet.

We may call supporters to thank them, update them or inform them of other ways they can get involved with our campaigns. If you’d like to stop receiving calls from Greenpeace, let us know at [email protected] or 0800 22 33 44. 

Personal information from our supporters is obtained through campaign support, donations, and providing your details via social media or other digital advertising.

Greenpeace Aotearoa will never buy or sell personal data. Read our full privacy policy here. If you’d like more information, or would like to request anything regarding your personal data, please contact us on 0800 22 33 44.

You can donate to Greenpeace online using your debit or credit card. You can also become a regular donor online. 

If you prefer not to make a donation online, there are other ways to donate to Greenpeace Aotearoa:

Donate via bank transfer – you can transfer money directly to Greenpeace Aotearoa through your bank.  Email [email protected] to request our bank details. This will help ensure your gift reaches us safely so we can thank you and send you a receipt.

Donate via the phone – credit card donations can be made securely over the phone. Call us on 09 630 6317 or 0800 22 33 44 between 8:30am – 5pm, Monday – Friday.

Greenpeace takes no money from business or government. It’s contributions from people like you that make our work possible. If you’d like to join us in campaigning for a green and peaceful future, make a donation today.

Your donation will go towards funding our campaigns to protect the Earth. This can include things such as:

• Raising awareness of the challenges we face
• Taking non-violent direct action against those who are polluting our planet
• Working with our allies to build and mobilise people power for change
• Lobbying for stronger environmental legislation
• Essential organisation administration and governance

A combination of these things is what enables us to create the systemic change our planet needs, together.

Some of your donation will go towards growing our movement by raising the next donation. For every $1 spent on fundraising, we raise approximately $3. We commit to being responsible and respectful when asking for funds.

Transparency is important to us. We have audits every year and publish our annual reports so you can see exactly how we spend the money we’re given.

Greenpeace is not a membership organisation. However, you can become a monthly donor and receive regular updates on what your support is achieving.

You can update your payment method, or other details, by calling us at 0800 22 33 44 or emailing [email protected].

You can cancel or change your monthly Greenpeace donation by calling 0800 22 33 44 or emailing [email protected]

We aim to respond to all email requests within 2 working days. Please try to let us know of any changes at least 3 days before your next scheduled donation date. This will give us time to make any changes before your donation comes through.

You’ll receive a receipt after every donation you make to Greenpeace. You will receive your receipt once we process your donation.

We also issue annual donation receipts in April, after the end of each financial year (1 April – 31 March). This totals all one-off and regular donations made during that period. These receipts are sent out to all donors in the first few weeks of April each year, and can be used to claim tax credits from the IRD.

If you need to update your contact details or want another copy, please get in touch. Email us at [email protected] or call us on 0800 22 33 44.

You can claim back 1/3 of every donation you make to Greenpeace Aotearoa that is over $5. For example, if you donate $100, you could claim back $33.33.

In the first few weeks of April each year, we will send you an annual receipt. This will include all donations you have made to Greenpeace over the financial year. You can use this to claim tax credits.

You can choose to donate it back to Greenpeace, or keep it for yourself. Find out more about tax credits.

No. Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments, corporations or businesses. This helps Greenpeace remain independent and continue campaigning, without relying on government or corporation donations.

Instead, Greenpeace relies on donations from individual people like you. Donate today.

There are many ways you can support Greenpeace. You can sign petitions, attend events, volunteer for us or participate in our campaigns. Whatever your involvement with Greenpeace looks like, thank you. It’s a combination of these actions that will create green and peaceful future.

Visit our Take Action page to find out what taking action for the environment means to you.

You can help spread our message and inspire other people to take action too. Share our petitions, blogs and campaigns with your friends and family. Change is only possible when we all work together.

Unfortunately, we don’t currently sell Greenpeace merchandise. There are opportunities to receive Greenpeace merch by getting involved with Greenpeace.

Yes you can! Through our petitions we give voice to people all over New Zealand and New Zealanders all over the world who support better protection for nature.

Just use your name and email address to sign a petition if you do not live in Aotearoa New Zealand. You can find our list of petitions on our website.

Petitions are about demonstrating a mandate for change. Each petition is directed either at Parliament, or an industry decision maker and when the moment is right, we will print off all the names and deliver the petition.

For example, here we are delivering a petition to ban seabed mining, and here’s Jacinda Ardern accepting our petition to ban oil exploration. Greenpeace often gets creative with petition deliveries to increase their impact, as with this banner made of people’s names at parliament which was then delivered in a crate.

We print off just the names plus town/city, if supplied, of each person who has signed the petition. We give these details to the petitions office at parliament.

It’s fine to sign it again if you are unsure. Our system will make sure that when we hand the petition in, each name is only added once.

Yes! A campaign will seldom be won by a petition alone, but petitions almost always play an important role in every successful campaign. They are a way of demonstrating a mandate for change and formally putting an issue on the parliament’s agenda.

Greenpeace often uses petitions to rally for change to great effect. We also provide the Greenpeace Community platform for other people to run petitions as part of their own environmental campaigns. You can read more about how to use a petition here.