The story of Greenpeace is one of hope. 

It is a story about the remarkable impact ordinary people have when they come together to protect what they love. What started as a crew of twelve setting sail to stop a nuclear weapons test became the global movement it is today thanks to passionate people like you. Every action you’ve taken, every petition you’ve signed, and every generous donation you’ve made is building a better future.

Just look at some of the victories your support has helped make possible this year:  

In January, marches took place in Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, and other cities in Argentina, opposing oil exploration in the Argentine Sea.
    • Communities are taking legal action to confront Big Oil! Following court judgments, Shell will not be allowed to conduct seismic blasting off the Wild Coast of South Africa, and Equinor’s permits for oil exploration in the Argentine Sea have been suspended.
      • After years of campaigning by Greenpeace for greater regulation of the commercial fishing industry, New Zealand has installed cameras on 300 fishing vessels, and Indonesia adopted a new law to better protect migrant fishers.
        In April, Greenpeace activists delivered an eight-foot tall birthday cake and card topped with pipeline candles leaking oil to Scotiabank’s corporate headquarters in Toronto, right ahead of the bank’s 190th AGM.
        • By holding banks accountable for bankrolling fossil fuels, we’re seeing shifts in the world of public and private finance. The Dutch bank ING announced it would quit financing new fossil fuel projects, and Scotiabank has decided not to renew its membership with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
        • Following our at-sea action, there are now permanent bans on bottom trawling in two marine protected areas off the coasts of the UK and Sweden.
        In September, Greenpeace activists set up a billboard in downtown Taipei, calling on Taiwan’s largest supermarket chain to halve the amount of plastic used by 2025.
        • Our campaign for reusable and refillable packaging to reduce single-use plastics has gained traction! Coca-Cola committed to making at least 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030, and 2,206 chain and non-chain beverage stores in Taipei will stop using disposable plastic cups.
          • Lobbying decision-makers to protect forests is resulting in important policy changes. The European Parliament voted in favour of a law that would end the importation of products linked to deforestation and human rights violations, while the Russian government approved new legislation that will help extinguish more forest fires.
          An activist from Greenpeace Africa holds a banner in support of a Global Plastics Treaty at the Ngong Hills in Nairobi, Kenya.
          • We’re building momentum for action against plastic pollution: the UN adopted a mandate to negotiate a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, described as the most important international environmental deal since the Paris Climate Accord.

          And to think that this is just a glimpse of what we’ve achieved this year! 

          More than fifty years of Greenpeace campaigns have taught us that change isn’t always uniform or linear. Sometimes, change is easy to see, like the negotiation of a global treaty. But more often, change is a process—a series of subtle developments that unfold in different stages and forms.

          Think of ​​the gradual shifts in media narratives about banks’ investments in fossil fuels, or a baby boom in a once-threatened herd of bison. It’s a slower, deeper kind of progress—one that isn’t always easy to time or measure, but one that we know is taking place because we see glimpses of it every month.

          And that’s what changing mindsets and systems is all about.

          With every passing day, the world is recognizing that the great challenges of our time—from climate change to social justice—are inextricably linked, as are the solutions. To advance our cause, we need to work on many fronts and with many tools, in courts, classrooms, and from coast to coast. 

          So as we reflect on the year and make resolutions for the next, let’s take a moment to celebrate all of our efforts to protect our shared planet. Whether it’s petitioning politicians, painting murals or donating to protect the polar bears, people like you carry out acts of courage every day, propelling us towards a greener, more peaceful future!