Friends of the Earth (EWNI)
Encyclopedia
Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) is one of 70 national groups around the world which make up the Friends of the Earth
network of environmental organizations. It is usually referred to just as Friends of the Earth within its home countries.
Friends of the Earth Scotland
operates separately, so there is no single Friends of the Earth (UK
).
Since July 2008, Andy Atkins
has been the executive director. Under Atkins' leadership, Friends of the Earth will continue to push for political action to tackle global environmental challenges.
In November 2006, the Big Ask Campaign
was widely credited with forcing the Government to include the Climate Change Bill
in their legislative programme, set out in "the Queen's Speech". The Climate Change Bill
became law on 26 November 2008.
FoE EWNI is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe
represents and unites at the European level.
. One of the first campaigns was to dump 1,500 glass bottles in front of the HQ of soft drinks giant Schweppes in Connaught House, London in protest at the company's policy of having non-returnable bottles. The group had eight local branches in 1971. By 1976 there were 140, and by 1980 it had 250 and 17,000 registered supporters. Between 1984 and 1996 its director was Jonathan Porritt a former teacher and chairman of the Ecology party. Porritt left in 1996, by which time its membership hit 226,000. Between 2000 and 2008, FoE EWNI's executive director was Tony Juniper
.
High profile campaigns have included the return of 1500 non-returnable bottles to Schweppes in 1971, and the successful "Alice's Meadow
" campaign of 1983 - which helped force the diversion of the proposed M40 motorway
around Otmoor
.
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
network of environmental organizations. It is usually referred to just as Friends of the Earth within its home countries.
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Friends of the Earth Scotland is an independent member of the Friends of the Earth international network of environmental organizations, and operates separately from Friends of the Earth in England, Wales and Northern Ireland . There is no single Friends of the Earth .Since 2011, Stan Blackley has...
operates separately, so there is no single Friends of the Earth (UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
).
Since July 2008, Andy Atkins
Andy Atkins
Andy Atkins has been executive director of environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth since March 2008, replacing Tony Juniper. Andy was previously policy and campaigns director at relief and development agency Tearfund...
has been the executive director. Under Atkins' leadership, Friends of the Earth will continue to push for political action to tackle global environmental challenges.
In November 2006, the Big Ask Campaign
Big Ask Campaign
The Big Ask is a campaign by Friends of the Earth calling for a new climate change law in the United Kingdom and 15 other EU member states. The United Kingdom Government announced the introduction of the Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech on November 15, 2006. This was as a result of...
was widely credited with forcing the Government to include the Climate Change Bill
United Kingdom Climate Change Bill
The Climate Change Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for all six Kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline, toward avoiding dangerous...
in their legislative programme, set out in "the Queen's Speech". The Climate Change Bill
United Kingdom Climate Change Bill
The Climate Change Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for all six Kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline, toward avoiding dangerous...
became law on 26 November 2008.
FoE EWNI is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International . It includes 30 national organisations and thousands of local groups....
represents and unites at the European level.
History
Friends of the Earth was founded in England in 1971, two years after the group was first founded in San Francisco in 1969. Its first leader was Graham Searle, a former vice president of the National Union of StudentsNational Union of Students
-British Isles:*National Union of Students**National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland**National Union of Students Scotland**National Union of Students Wales-Scandinavia:*Danish National Union of Students*National Union of Students in Finland...
. One of the first campaigns was to dump 1,500 glass bottles in front of the HQ of soft drinks giant Schweppes in Connaught House, London in protest at the company's policy of having non-returnable bottles. The group had eight local branches in 1971. By 1976 there were 140, and by 1980 it had 250 and 17,000 registered supporters. Between 1984 and 1996 its director was Jonathan Porritt a former teacher and chairman of the Ecology party. Porritt left in 1996, by which time its membership hit 226,000. Between 2000 and 2008, FoE EWNI's executive director was Tony Juniper
Tony Juniper
Tony Juniper is a British environmental campaigner, author and commentator most recognised for his work as Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International from 2000-2008.Juniper was the Green Party's parliamentary...
.
Structure and funding
FoE (EWNI) has a dual structure, comprising a trust, which is a registered charity, and a limited company, which carries out political campaigning - something a charity is forbidden to do under UK rules. FoE gets 96 per cent of its funding from individuals. Total income for FoE EWNI Ltd for the year ending May 2010 was £2,978,015 while total expenditure £3,039,618, making a deficit of £61,603.Local groups
Friends of the Earth EWNI defines itself as a grassroots organisation, with over 200 local groups making it the largest environmental network in the UK. The local groups are largely autonomous, but most work on at least some national campaigns, especially climate change. Local groups have significant power in shaping the direction of the national organisation, for example by electing a majority of board members.Campaigns
The major campaign issues of Friends of the Earth in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are:- Biodiversity
- Climate change
- Corporate Accountability
- Global trade
- Real Food
- Transport
- Waste
High profile campaigns have included the return of 1500 non-returnable bottles to Schweppes in 1971, and the successful "Alice's Meadow
Alice's Meadow
Alice's Meadow is the name given to a small field in the Oxfordshire parish of Fencott and Murcott, England. It became the focus of a campaign by local people and Friends of the Earth in the 1980s, who opposed government plans to route the M40 motorway across Otmoor.The name 'Alice's Meadow' is a...
" campaign of 1983 - which helped force the diversion of the proposed M40 motorway
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
around Otmoor
Otmoor
Otmoor or Ot Moor is an area of wetland and wet grassland in Oxfordshire, England, located halfway between Oxford and Bicester. It is about above sea level, and has an area of approximately ....
.