Singapore— The Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior has arrived in Singapore for environmental awareness, highlighting the need for ambitious climate action given the clear and present danger of climate change already affecting Singapore and other vulnerable countries in the region.
“Greenpeace is grateful for the opportunity to be here in Singapore with the Rainbow Warrior. She is a very special ship, traveling to remote parts of the world to put the spotlight on environmental and social issues that need actions and solutions. Most of all, the Rainbow Warrior stands in solidarity with the people who are fighting to reclaim their rights to a healthy and peaceful environment”, said Peter Willcox, Captain of the Rainbow Warrior.
An icon of the seas, the Rainbow Warrior is known for her daring missions. Its first undertaking was to stop Iceland’s whaling programme back in 1978. Since then she has been on countless assignments and historic expeditions, both celebrated and controversial.
On 10 July 1985, while visiting New Zealand to confront French nuclear testing in the Mururoa Atoll, French secret service agents planted two bombs and sank the Rainbow Warrior resulting in the death of photographer Fernando Pereira.
Public outcry prompted a new ship to be commissioned and a second Rainbow Warrior returned to battle, successfully ending the French nuclear testing programs. After 22 tireless years at the campaigning frontline, the ship retired from her Greenpeace life in August 2011.
Not long after, a third Rainbow Warrior was launched, built with sustainability in mind. The current ship is the first in the fleet designed and built specifically for Greenpeace. It’s also one of the most energy-efficient ship in the high seas today, sailing primarily using wind power.
The Rainbow Warrior is now on a 5-month tour of Southeast Asia sailing to shed light on the causes, impacts, and solutions to mitigate climate change that is already affecting much of the region. In Singapore, the ship will promote Greenpeace’s vision of a green and peaceful future: where the climate is kept stable and the region’s ancient forests and its inhabitants, are preserved and protected.
“It is fitting that the Rainbow Warrior is here in the Singapore especially as the government has marked 2018 as the Year of Climate Action. Now more than ever, we need more climate initiatives with ambitious targets set by the government for national implementation, with support from Singapore’s business sector,” said Naderev “Yeb” Saño, Executive Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “Investments that are ecologically viable and sustainable are what the world needs right now. We hope to work closely with the Singapore government and civil society and we look forward to what the country can deliver under the Paris agreement.”
For more information please contact:
Yeb Saño, Executive Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Email: [email protected] Mob: +63998 8494846
Therese Salvador, Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Email: [email protected] Mob: +658670198 (SG) /+639178228734 (PH)