Friends of the Earth International (FoEI)
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is a global environmental network that aims to promote social, economic, and political justice while advocating for sustainable development and environmental protection. Founded in the United States by David Brower, the organization has expanded to include nearly eighty autonomous national member groups around the world, each with its own funding and strategies. FoEI actively engages in international environmental policy, holding observer status at key conventions and consultative status with various United Nations organizations, such as UNESCO and the Economic and Social Council.
The organization is involved in significant international meetings, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. FoEI also collaborates with affiliates like the Rainforest Action Network and the International Rivers Network, and participates in broader conservation efforts as a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Through its initiatives, FoEI seeks to enhance public participation in environmental protection and coordinate the actions of various networks focused on environmental, consumer, and human rights issues.
Subject Terms
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI)
- DATE: Established 1969
Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) is a federation of national environmental organizations focusing on global environmental problems, such as rain-forest destruction, ozone-layer depletion, marine pollution, and the hazardous-waste trade.
Background
Friends of the Earth was founded in the United States by David Brower. Over the years, national groups were established in other countries. There are nearly eighty national member groups throughout the world. Each national group is an autonomous body with its own funding and strategy.
FOEI takes an active part in the international environmental policy process. It has had observer status at convention proceedings and consultative status at a number of United Nations organizations, such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It has also participated in meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Panel on Change, and the Montreal Protocol.
The Rainforest Action Network and the International Rivers Network are affiliates of Friends of the Earth International, and FOEI is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Environmental Liaison Center International. In 2021, Hemantah Withanage was named chair of the activist organization.
Impact on Resource Use
The organization’s objectives include protecting the Earth from damage by humans; increased public participation in environmental protection; social, economic, and political justice; and the promotion of environmentally sustainable development. FOEI has been instrumental in coordinating the activities of networks of environmental, consumer, and human rights organizations. In 2021, FOEI won a significant legal victory against oil company Shell. Due in part to FOEI's influence, a Netherlands court ruled that Shell must reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030 when compared to the organization's 2019 levels. Shell appealed the decision, and Dutch courts overruled FOEI's victory in 2024.