Greenpeace arrives in Portugal with its legendary ship Arctic Sunrise

• Portugal joins the global network of more than 55 countries where Greenpeace is present to fight for a green and peaceful world.

• The organisation’s priorities focus on the fight against the Climate Emergency, the protection of Biodiversity and alternatives to a socio-economic model. One of its first requests will be the ratification of the Oceans Treaty by the Portuguese government.

• This event is also a tribute to the Portuguese Fernando Pereira and to all the defenders of the Planet who are no longer with us.

Lisbon, 17 February 2025 – Greenpeace is setting up a physical presence in Portugal for the first time with a permanent team. The organisation has had a sporadic presence in the country for more than 15 years with some specific actions and campaigns, but it is in the current context in which almost 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries have been crossed, with a model of production and consumption that threatens life on this planet, that Greenpeace wanted to add Portugal to its global network of more than 55 countries to continue to make a strong commitment to a green and peaceful world. In addition to all of this, there is an upsurge of serious geopolitical conflicts, the restriction of democratic space, the regression in human rights and environmental commitments, and being in the midst of a climate emergency and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity.

The launch of Greenpeace Portugal took place this morning on board the organisation’s legendary icebreaker, the Arctic Sunrise, with the participation of Greenpeace Portugal Director Toni Melajoki and Greenpeace International Board Chair Jo Dufay. The ship is currently in Lisbon to celebrate the consolidation of a new team in Portugal, to hold political meetings and work with alliances.

MEDIA IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE.

The Arctic Sunrise will depart from Lisbon and will visit Porto from 21 to 23 February at Porto de Leixões with open days for the public from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00. The guided tours are free of charge and it is a unique opportunity to learn about the history and the nooks and crannies of the icebreaker.

Greenpeace is an economically and politically independent international environmental and peace organisation, i.e. it does not accept donations or pressure from governments, political parties or companies, and is financed exclusively by individual contributions from its members. 

With a stable presence in the country as of today, the organisation wants to focus on the main socio-environmental issues, hand in hand with citizens, together with other organisations and social actors in Portugal. With more than 50 years of experience, Greenpeace also wants to work in Portugal to strengthen the democratic space and spaces for political advocacy that catalyse the urgent changes that the country, the region and the planet need.

‘It’s important to have a permanent presence in Portugal, the only major European country still absent from the Greenpeace family, a pioneer in many environmental issues and with historical and cultural connections to key countries such as Brazil that are in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss’ said Jo Dufay, Chair of the Board of Greenpeace International.

Toni Melajoki, director of Greenpeace in Portugal, said: ‘There are urgent and necessary changes that need to be made in Portugal and globally. Greenpeace wants to stop the global threats that are manifesting themselves in this territory and make proposals to move towards alternative futures beyond economic growth’. He adds: ‘We want to channel the indignation and the voice of Portuguese citizens historically concerned and committed to the fight against the climate emergency and the defence of biodiversity’.

What will Greenpeace work on?

The organisation has three main global priorities that are reflected in every corner of the world: the fight against the Climate Emergency and its most visible face, extreme weather events (fires, heat waves, droughts, floods…), the protection of Biodiversity and alternatives to a socio-economic model that threatens life on this planet.

We are taking the first steps of the organisation in Portugal, analysing the socio-environmental situation, the government’s response, the work of other friendly organisations and connecting with the main environmental concerns of Portuguese citizens in order to set our priorities in the short term. 

In the field of Climate Emergency, Portugal being the European Union country with the highest percentage of burned area, during this first year the organisation will focus on an in-depth research work in order to make proposals for forest policies and concrete alternatives for the entire management cycle, addressing the threat, vulnerability and exposure posed by fires that will be increasingly aggravated by climate change.

In the field of Biodiversity protection and in its more international dimension, the organisation will work on the protection of the Oceans in both national and international waters. The first request to the Portuguese government will be to ratify the United Nations Oceans Treaty. Four European countries, including Spain, have already announced this, and Portugal, the country with the largest maritime area of the entire continent, cannot be left behind and support the declaration of marine protected areas in the high seas in order to reach 30% protection of the high seas by 2030. In addition, Portugal was the first European country to announce a ban on seabed mining in its territorial waters until 2050, and Greenpeace will also ask it to lead the ISA (International Seabed Authority) negotiations to extend this ban on underwater mining in international waters.

At the confluence of these two areas, it will also be a priority for the organisation to demand an active role for Portugal in the next UN Climate Summit (COP30) to be held in Brazil in November this year, just when the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement will be celebrated. It is another great opportunity where Greenpeace will again insist that climate inaction by governments kills, denounce the harmful business of large fossil and agribusiness corporations, and demand that they pay for the damage they are causing to people and the planet.

Similarly, but already in the medium term, the necessary transitions, connected to the most basic needs of the population, in the energy and food model, affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable public transport, and the management of water resources, will be issues on which the organisation will go deeper.

We would also like to expressly acknowledge the Portuguese environmental sector, which is diverse, numerous and has a long tradition of denouncing environmental injustices and defending its biodiversity, the work they have done is wonderful. Greenpeace Portugal wants to work in alliance, hand in hand with the sector, contributing its capacity for analysis, research and advocacy, its international dimension and scope, and its experience in activism and non-violent protest actions. 

A bit of history of Greenpeace and Portugal

Greenpeace has been present in the country since 2008, through different actions: from campaigns on the protection of the oceans and their direct relationship with fishing and its consumption to actions denouncing the burning of fossil fuels, the main reason for climate change.

HISTORICAL ARCHIVE IMAGES OF ACTIONS IN PORTUGAL AVAILABLE HERE.

The opening of the Greenpeace office in Portugal coincides with the 40th anniversary of the death of Fernando Pereira, Portuguese photographer and Greenpeace activist who died in the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985, by two bombs planted by the French secret service. ‘His memory is a vindication of the democratic space and the right to protest, necessary to denounce the injustices that threaten life on our planet,’ concluded Toni Melajoki.