Since its formation in Vancouver in 1971, Greenpeace has become one of the world’s most successful nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) by doing outlandish things to save the planet, while bringing the world’s media along for the ride. In a recent article commemorating the group’s 30th birthday, Greenpeace International Executive Director Gerd Leipold declared, with some justification, that his organization has changed the world. But today, critics accuse Greenpeace of failing to respond to the more complex issues of the 21st century. One former member maintains it “abandoned science and logic somewhere in the mid-1980s.” Thirty years ago, environmentalism was all about confrontation. Now it is about conciliation. How well has Greenpeace moved with the times, and what lessons does its evolution from upstart to global institution offer for other NGOs?
