Join us and be a part of the Greenpeace Canada Education Fund!
Please consider a generous gift to fund climate education and research in Canada.
Why is climate education and research important to you?
Let us know by email at : [email protected]
What We Do
Less than a decade separates us from irreversible damage from climate change. Despite consensus that climate change is real and a majority of Canadians wishing to see fossil fuel phased out, oil and gas companies – and their allies – are stymying meaningful climate action. Disinformation is blurring our collective understanding of the issues and solutions to this crisis. To address it, we must bridge the knowledge gap and combat the sense of powerlessness instilled by this continued obstruction of the democratic will.
Launched in 2020, the Greenpeace Canada Education Fund seeks to deepen our collective understanding of the environmental, climate, and energy issues affecting people living in Canada and around the world. We do this by focusing on research, education, and the effective dissemination of our findings to the public.
Guided by our values, we are advancing this mission in a way that is consistent with a democratic, inclusive vision of Canadian civil society that disrupts long-running historical imbalances. To do this, we strive to advance an intersectional equity lens in all that we do, including program design and outreach. Only through these activities can we begin to act on a decolonial commitment to the process of achieving systems change and environmental justice.
If you’re interested in our strategic direction, we invite you to review this executive summary of our Three-Year Strategic Plan (2024-27).
Our Relationship with Greenpeace Canada
There are now two Greenpeace organizations operating in Canada. Greenpeace Canada, which runs campaigns to protect the planet, expose global environmental issues, and develop solutions for a green and peaceful future, was established in 1971. It is part of a global campaigning network maintaining general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. To advocate and mobilize effectively, including in ways that charities can’t, Greenpeace Canada is a non-profit rather than a charity. Established in 2020, the Greenpeace Canada Education Fund is a registered charity focused on research, investigations and education.
Our work complements and supports that of Greenpeace Canada, our supporters, and our environmental partners to create persuasive, credible and effective actions that meaningfully engage the public, politicians and the media on the march towards climate justice.
Program Interests
Greenspeakers
Greenpeace Canada’s Greenspeakers program empowers Canadian youth to find creative solutions to local and global environmental challenges through educational resources, thought-provoking speakers, and interactive learning sessions. Engaging more than 17,000 students from K-12 and 328 presentations across Canada since 2015, GCEF is now seeking to develop, standardize, and scale the program across the country with a view to engaging 10,000 students a year by 2023-2024.
Fixing Canada’s Broken Food System
Food systems are responsible for a third of global greenhouse emissions. In this investigative research project, GCEF will support Greenpeace Canada to clarify the drivers of biodiversity loss in Canada’s agricultural system, including the identification of national and international supply chain links that contribute to these emissions, incentives to Canada’s meat and dairy processing industries, and the impacts of our consumption on the environment. This will strengthen the ability of Canadians to understand our national food system and meaningfully contribute to the federal government’s agricultural policy framework review in 2023.
Shifting the Narrative on Canada’s Agricultural Policy
With public debate understandably focused on oil and gas production, industrial agriculture still produces approximately 10% of Canada’s GHGs, with no current national target for reducing emissions. In this project, GCEF will support Greenpeace Canada to empower Canadians to speak in favour of a food policy that reduces nitrogen fertilizer use and meat consumption. This will entail capturing personal stories and experiences from stakeholders across the food supply system, imagining alternative food production systems, and creating resources that support the ability of Canadians to engage their elected officials on policy issues.
Telling the Human Stories of Climate Disasters
In 2021, Canadians experienced heat waves, fires, and flooding causing the death and displacement of thousands. To pursue meaningful climate action, we must bear witness to the human impacts and social effects of climate disasters, and highlight those responsible: fossil fuel companies and enabling governments. In this project, GCEF will empower Greenpeace Canada to pursue on-the-ground investigations of climate disasters in Canada and capture stories that educate the public, media, and decision-makers on the impacts of extreme weather on citizens and communities.
Contact Us
Greenpeace Canada Education Fund33 Cecil StreetToronto, ONM5T 1N1+1 (905) [email protected]
