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| Green movement (politics) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Green movement (politics) |
| Founded | Late 20th century |
| Ideology | Environmentalism; Deep ecology; Eco-socialism; Libertarian municipalism; Social ecology |
| Headquarters | Decentralized; notable centers: Berlin, Brussels, Canberra |
| Notable people | Wangari Maathai, Ellen Swallow Richards, Rachel Carson, Alexander von Humboldt, Murray Bookchin |
Green movement (politics) The Green movement is a transnational political and social phenomenon advocating ecological sustainability, conservation, and social justice. Emerging from environmental campaigns, scientific critiques, and social reform networks, it encompasses parties, NGOs, think tanks, and grassroots collectives across continents. The movement has influenced international institutions, domestic legislatures, and municipal governance while intersecting with labor, Indigenous, feminist, and anti-nuclear initiatives.
Origins trace to 19th- and 20th-century figures and events such as Alexander von Humboldt, the Conservation movement (United States), the British conservation movement, and publications like Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Early organizations included the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund; later catalysts were the Club of Rome, the Stockholm Conference (1972), and the 1979 Energy Crisis. Political manifestations arose with groups connected to the anti-nuclear movement and protests at sites like Greenham Common and Three Mile Island. The first successful electoral formations were influenced by activists from the New Left, Environmental Protection Agency, and municipal initiatives such as Freiburg im Breisgau’s urban planning. Key founders and intellectuals included Murray Bookchin, E. F. Schumacher, Wangari Maathai, Ellen Swallow Richards, and activists associated with the Chipko movement and First Nations campaigns.
Core principles synthesize strands from Deep ecology, Eco-socialism, Social ecology, and Libertarian municipalism. Emphases include biodiversity protection championed by organizations like Conservation International and WWF International, sustainable development debates from the Brundtland Commission, and climate policy informed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Social justice ties connect to International Labour Organization concerns, Indigenous rights as in United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and gender equity movements like Green Party (Germany)’s early feminist caucuses. Influential theorists and implementers include Donella Meadows, Herman Daly, Amartya Sen, and municipal reformers in Portland, Oregon and Copenhagen.
Electoral parties emerged in Australia (Australian Greens), Germany (Alliance 90/The Greens), New Zealand (Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand), Canada (Green Party of Canada), and many European legislatures. Movements and NGOs include Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth, 350.org, Extinction Rebellion, and local chapters of Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society (Australia). Regional actors range from Los Verdes (Spain) to Les Verts (Belgium), while transnational networks such as the European Green Party, the Global Greens, and the Green European Foundation coordinate platforms. Notable officeholders include Joschka Fischer, Catherine McKenna, Elizabeth May, Richard Di Natale, and Annalena Baerbock.
Common policy platforms advocate greenhouse gas reductions in line with Paris Agreement objectives, renewable energy transitions influenced by International Renewable Energy Agency, conservation measures tied to Convention on Biological Diversity, and circular economy proposals referencing Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Policies often incorporate public health concerns linked to World Health Organization guidance, sustainable agriculture with techniques promoted by Food and Agriculture Organization and agroecology proponents like La Via Campesina, and urban planning models from ICLEI and C40 Cities. Economic proposals range from green taxation and carbon pricing reflected in EU Emissions Trading System debates to welfare-state adaptations drawing on Nordic model practices. Transport, biodiversity, water rights, and Indigenous stewardship intersect with laws such as the Endangered Species Act and initiatives like REDD+.
Impact varies by region: strong parliamentary presence in parts of Europe (notably Germany, Austria, Finland), institutional roles in Australia and New Zealand, growing movements in Latin America with groups linked to Ecuador’s constitutional recognition of rights of nature, and activist prominence in United States civil society networks. African organizations often combine conservation with development priorities seen in Kenya where Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement linked to African Union agendas. Asian variations navigate rapid industrialization contexts in China, India (including the Chipko movement), and Southeast Asian coalitions addressing deforestation in Indonesia. International leverage is exercised through forums like the United Nations, G20, and multilateral banks including the World Bank.
Critiques target perceived elitism and electoral compromises in parties such as debates within Alliance 90/The Greens and tensions between grassroots groups like Extinction Rebellion and parliamentary Greens. Accusations include greenwashing enabled by corporations like ExxonMobil and contested partnerships with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. Internal debates involve market-based instruments versus regulatory approaches, conflicts with labor unions during Just Transition negotiations, and controversies over land rights in regions affected by conservation policies (e.g., disputes involving World Wildlife Fund projects). Electoral setbacks have prompted discussions about balance between radical direct action linked to Earth First! and pragmatic governance exemplified by ministers in coalition cabinets like Germany’s.
Direct-action traditions include anti-nuclear protests at Greenham Common and civil disobedience by Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Campaigns span climate strikes inspired by Fridays for Future and leadership figures like Greta Thunberg, fossil fuel divestment coordinated by 350.org, and Indigenous-led blockades drawing from Idle No More and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe resistance to Dakota Access Pipeline. Community-level initiatives involve permaculture networks influenced by Bill Mollison, urban gardening in Detroit, and local currency experiments linked to Brixton Pound-style schemes.
Greens have shifted policy agendas on climate and biodiversity across cabinets, city councils, and supranational bodies, influencing legislation such as emissions targets in the European Union and renewable portfolio standards in states like California. Collaborations with social democrats and environmental ministries have altered infrastructure investments and energy portfolios tied to corporates such as Vestas and Siemens Gamesa. Their presence reshaped political discourse around sustainability in platforms of parties like Labour Party (UK), Democratic Party (United States), and Social Democratic Party of Germany. Institutional legacies include expanded environmental assessment procedures, protected areas, and funding streams via entities like the Green Climate Fund.
Category:Political movements