Greenpeace is in East Asia to fight climate change, stop toxic pollution, ensure food security, end illegal deforestation, and defend the oceans.
Greenpeace has been in East Asia since 1997 and has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei and Seoul. Environmental problems know no borders, and Greenpeace recognizes the importance of regional offices that work together to achieve effective solutions for a sustainable future. Surging economic development in East Asia has brought widespread prosperity, but has also taken a severe environmental toll, both regionally and in the world. Greenpeace is committed to ensuring a green development pathway together with the people of China Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.
Climate change is our priority here, starting with our early campaign to tackle Hong Kong’s largest electricity provider, China Light & Power. Now, we are working hard to push China to quit coal, which supplies 70% of the country’s energy and produces 80% of its carbon dioxide emissions. Greenpeace is working to catalyze a renewable energy revolution in China – which has vast untapped potential for solar and wind energy.
We have also targeted industrial pollution in Guangdong, “the factory of the world” and successfully blacklisted three polluting factories on the Pearl River Delta. Industrial water pollution continues to be a key focus of our campaigns, with past projects focusing on Yangtze River pollution, electronic waste and factory production. Meanwhile our Food & Agriculture team focuses on ensuring safe, sustainable agriculture for East Asia and our Forests team has helped expose the link between East Asia’s demand for timber and paper products and widespread, illegal deforestation in Indonesia, Madagascar and the Congo.
In 2021, the main goals of Greenpeace East Asia in climate and energy are to ensure China’s role in international climate discussions and to advocate for China’s transition into sustainable energy. Green Peace also aims to encourage the Hong Kong SAR government to invest in renewable energy and mobilize the public to take action.
Greenpeace East Asia currently has campaigns to stop climate change, eliminate toxic chemicals from China's factories, defend the oceans, protect agriculture and food safety from genetically engineered crops as well as chemical fertilizers and hazardous pesticides, protect East Asia's ancient forests and reduce air pollution.
Focusing on sustainable living, Greenpeace contributes to changing consumption patterns and business practices to encourage individual efforts. One recent direction of advocacy in 2021 is to reduce plastic pollution, due to the risks to animal and human health.
Greenpeace East Asia is an operational foundation.
