At Global Greengrants Fund, we believe that the best solutions to environmental harm and social injustice come from those most impacted. That’s why we invest in the people who eat from the land, who drink the water, and who want to see a better life for their children and generations to come.
We are inspired by the many ways that our grantees show love and care for our shared to planet. Read on for five examples from across the globe.
1. They use their voices to speak up for the Earth.
Whether it’s standing up to extractive industries, holding government officials accountable, or advocating for better climate policies, our grantees know a thing or two about raising their voices to protect people and planet.
The Niger Delta, the largest wetland in Africa, was once a thriving ecosystem with fertile farmland, plentiful fish stocks, and rich biodiversity. Thanks to big oil companies like Shell, who for over 50 years have recklessly spilled millions of liters of oil in the Niger Delta, it is now one of the most contaminated places on Earth. Grassroots activists and community groups have not stood by idly. Instead, they have taken action to stand up to Shell, force the company out of Ogoniland, and demand clean-up of the contamination.
In January 2021, a Dutch court sentenced Shell Nigeria to compensate local farmers over oil spills that occurred in the Niger Delta in 2006 and 2007 and to start purifying contaminated waters within weeks. This victory is a step in the right direction, hand in hand with the countless people across the Niger Delta taking action to restore the land, educate local communities on their rights, and create alternative and sustainable forms of income generation. Here’s how Global Greengrants Fund supported these ongoing, long-term efforts led by community activists.
2. They put in the time, and they are in it for the long haul.
As demonstrated by grassroots movements worldwide, the critical work to protect people and planet takes time, patience, and collaboration. It is these long-term investments in environmental justice that can have the biggest payoff. In South Africa, major investors abandoned plans for the 557-MW Thabemetsi coal plant, one of the most greenhouse gas emission-intensive coal-fired projects in the world, which would have caused extensive damage to human health and scarce water sources. Since 2016, several of our grantees have challenged this mega project in court, arguing that the Environment Minister had disregarded the devastating climate impacts of the plant. Find out how Greengrants grantees groundWork, Centre for Environmental Rights, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, and the Concerned Citizens of Lephalale, worked hard for many years for this outcome.
3. They go out of their way to show they care.
Actions speak louder than words. Our grantee in Peru, Comité de Vigilancia Ambiental Humedal Santa Rosa, truly embodies this sentiment in their daily stewardship of the Santa Rosa Wetlands. The group has galvanized thousands of young people, factory workers, and scientists in the region to clean up this precious ecosystem, as well as to protect it against the invasion of mega-port development, mining, and industrial agriculture. Learn how Global Greengrants Fund is supporting their struggle.
4. They share their gifts with others to make the world a better place.
As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” In other words, oftentimes the best gift we can give to others is the gift of wisdom. Retired school teacher and grantee, Natabar Sarangi, has spent the last few decades collecting and distributing native seeds to millions of farmers across India, training these farmers on organic techniques in an effort to save India’s traditional farming practices. Here’s how a little support from Global Greengrants Fund helped him share his gifts with communities across the country.
5. They touch and take care of this planet we call home.
In the Brazilian Amazon, beehives are not just a hub of pollination; they are also the most economically viable alternative to the environmentally destructive traditions of slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle ranching. “Bees are everything to me. They help me to protect the forest. They help the trees to stand tall, to produce fruit and to be strong,” local beekeeper Neida Pereira says, tears welling. “The bees are much more important than me for the environment.” With a little support from Global Greengrants Fund and CASA Socio-Environmental Fund (our grantmaking arm in Brazil), Pereira and other local people opened the first beekeeping business in the Pará region of northern Brazil. By Pereira’s estimates, the returns of this work on a fifth of a hectare of forested land are more than 30 times higher than they would be from the usual backbreaking activity of growing cassava on land cleared by fire: a win that sustains the planet with income for local people. Learn more about this initiative, as featured in The Guardian.
Curious how YOU can show your love for our planet? Take our quiz to find out what your environmental love language is, and how you can take action now.