Greenpeace

What Greenpeace does

Greenpeace is a global non-profit environmental advocacy organization founded in 1971, operating through a decentralized network of national and regional offices coordinated under Greenpeace International. The input focuses on Greenpeace Schweiz, headquartered in Zürich, which campaigns on climate change mitigation, ocean and forest protection, biodiversity preservation, anti-nuclear advocacy, plastic pollution, and sustainable agriculture. Its primary beneficiaries are environmentally conscious private individuals who engage through donations, petitions, volunteer work, and public demonstrations rather than paying for products or services. The organization explicitly refuses funding from governments, political parties, and corporations to preserve campaign independence, instead relying on individual donations (with over 75% allocated to campaign work) and independent foundation grants subject to transparency requirements.

Greenpeace Schweiz's core offerings are digital and campaign-based rather than product-based: the greenpeace.ch website serves as the central hub for information and engagement, a donation platform enables one-time and recurring giving (memberships, sponsorships, legacies, project-specific contributions), a newsletter system sustains supporter communication, a merchandise shop sells branded materials, and an educational 'climate-friendly recipes' resource is delivered in partnership with Eaternity and Tibits. Distribution spans owned digital channels (website, social media, email), physical protests, and capital-intensive expedition assets such as the Arctic Sunrise vessel, which generate evidence and earned media for global campaigns. Customer/supporter engagement is community-led through petitions, crowdfunding, and grassroots mobilization, exemplified by the 50,000-signature target for the 2026 anti-nuclear referendum and the previously successful 53% vote against Swiss highway expansion.

Strategically, Greenpeace Schweiz's posture in 2025-2026 is defined by a major legal challenge from Energy Transfer ($345M SLAPP verdict in February 2025) offset by aggressive counter-litigation under the EU anti-SLAPP directive, alongside an active campaign portfolio spanning deep-sea mining opposition, nuclear policy referendums, retailer protein-shift petitions, and polar expeditions. The Swiss entity sits within Greenpeace International's broader 40-country operating footprint with a reported 2.8 million supporters globally, of which over 120,000 are in Switzerland. Headcount figures in the source material (1-10 employees at Amsterdam) appear inconsistent with the operational scope documented and are not relied upon as a primary scale indicator.

Name

Greenpeace

Legal name

Greenpeace Schweiz

Website

https://greenpeace.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Greenpeace is a global non-profit environmental advocacy organization founded in 1971, operating through a decentralized network of national offices under Greenpeace International. Greenpeace Schweiz campaigns on climate, oceans, forests, biodiversity, and anti-nuclear issues, funded primarily by individual donations and independent foundation grants while rejecting corporate and government funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy
• Climate campaigns
• Ocean conservation
• Nonprofit activism
• Sustainability education

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations and memberships: Greenpeace finances its operations primarily through private donations from individuals and foundation grants. The organization maintains strict independence by refusing corporate, government, and political party funding. Over 75% of donation revenue is allocated directly to campaign work.
2. Foundation grants: Greenpeace accepts funding from independent foundations that align with its environmental and social goals. All foundation donations are subject to transparency requirements and regular reporting on fund usage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Greenpeace is an independent environmental advocacy organization that campaigns on climate change, ocean conservation, forest protection, plastic pollution, nuclear energy risks, and biodiversity loss. The organization conducts independent scientific research, exposes environmental crimes, mobilizes public action through petitions and protests, organizes physical demonstrations and maritime expeditions, and advocates for policy changes. Operations are funded by private individual donations and independent foundation grants, with over 75% of donation revenue allocated directly to campaign work.

Product overview

Greenpeace Schweiz operates primarily as a digital NGO platform rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization's core digital offerings include its website (greenpeace.ch) as the central hub for campaign information, activism engagement, and supporter communication, alongside a donation platform enabling direct financial support, a merchandise shop, and a newsletter system. Additional initiatives include educational resources like climate-friendly recipes developed with partner Eaternity. The portfolio functions as a unified advocacy and fundraising ecosystem rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Greenpeace Shop
• Donation Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75% of donations are used directly for campaign work
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bündnis «Nein zu neuen AKW»coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenpeace Schweiz is part of the 'No to New Nuclear Power Plants' coalition which has launched a referendum against new atomic energy legislation. The alliance aims to collect 50,000 signatures within 100 days to bring the nuclear question to a public vote.
• Alliance 'NON aux projets autoroutiers extrêmes'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition against extreme highway expansion projects. Successfully mobilized approximately 53% of Swiss voters to reject the highway expansion proposal. The alliance brought together climate organizations, volunteers, and engaged citizens to achieve this victory.
• EaternityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Eaternity for calculating CO2 footprints of climate-friendly recipes. Eaternity provides the scientific methodology for certifying recipes as 'climate-friendly' with low carbon footprints.
• TibitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tibits restaurant to develop and showcase plant-based, seasonal recipes that carry the 'climate-friendly' label. Recipes are featured in video clips and designed to be easy to prepare at home.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organizations in the world, with comparable membership-based advocacy, climate campaigns, and influence over energy and conservation policy.
• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): The largest global environmental NGO, working on climate, oceans, forests, and wildlife. WWF is Greenpeace's most direct peer as a comparable, donation-funded advocacy organization running global conservation campaigns.
• Climate Action Network (CAN): Global network of over 1,500 environmental NGOs coordinating on climate policy. Comparable to Greenpeace as a coalition-based advocacy actor pushing for international climate agreements.
• Friends of the Earth International: A federation of grassroots environmental groups working on climate, forests, oceans, and corporate accountability. Closely mirrors Greenpeace's decentralized structure and confrontational campaign style.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Major US-based environmental NGO using science, economics, and advocacy on climate, oceans, and ecosystems. Comparable as a large, professionalized advocacy organization tackling overlapping issues.
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: Marine conservation organization using direct-action campaigns and ships at sea. Directly comparable to Greenpeace's ocean campaigns and expedition-based model (e.g., Arctic Sunrise).

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Large international environmental organization working on biodiversity, oceans, climate, and policy. Comparable in scale and global footprint, but more focused on science-driven conservation partnerships than confrontational advocacy.

Regional players

• Pro Natura: Switzerland's oldest and largest nature conservation organization, active in habitat protection, biodiversity, and environmental policy. A direct regional peer to Greenpeace Schweiz in the Swiss advocacy landscape.

Emerging players

• 350.org: A global grassroots climate movement focused on fossil fuel divestment and climate action. Overlaps significantly with Greenpeace's climate campaigns but is more movement-oriented and digitally native.
• Extinction Rebellion: A global movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to demand climate action. Comparable in confrontational tactics and grassroots mobilization, though younger and more decentralized than Greenpeace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/greenpeace_ch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/greenpeaceCH
• Facebookfacebook.com/greenpeace.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greenpeace-switzerland
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenpeace_switzerland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greenpeace