Top 10 Environmental Nonprofits

On the bright side, there a numerous environmental nonprofits fighting for the planet. Their hard work isn’t highlighted enough, and they’re going to need as much awareness as they can get to achieve their goals and protect our planet.

That’s why we’ve made this list of some of the 10 best environmental nonprofits, to bring awareness to their missions and what makes them so successful.

10. Woodland Trust

Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, working to protect woods, plant trees and restore ancient woodlands.

They work hard, and the product shows. Over the last year, Woodland Trust planted 50% of the total hectares planted that year. As part of their commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the UK government need to plant 30,000 hectares a year, so the hard work is only going to increase for the Woodland Trust.

Not only does their work help to protect habitats and combat climate change, but it also makes the UK a much more enjoyable place to live and helps people fall in love with the natural world by running activities for all ages.

To do this, they’re always looking for new volunteers and donors, so check out their website to learn more about their work and how you can help.

9. Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network is on a mission to diversify, educate and activate the worldwide environmental movement. Focusing on education for people at all stages in life, EDN covers all aspects of environmental issues, from plastic pollution to finding clean energy sources.

Their role in raising awareness of the climate crisis and helping people to evaluate their own impact is essential to fighting climate change. They’re getting more people behind the movement and maybe even involved in some of the other nonprofits on the list.

Earth Day Networks progress so far has been incredible. They’re the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, and largely due to their efforts, Earth Day has become the largest non-religious observance/holiday in the world!

7. Pure Earth

Pure Earth combines research and extensive fieldwork to reduce pollution in poor communities across the world. Toxic pollutants affect the health of more than 200 million people worldwide (and countless wildlife) so this is essential work.

Some of their key projects are cleaning up lead pollution caused by the improper recycling of car batteries and dealing with mercury poisoning caused by artisanal gold mining, helping to protect millions of people and vulnerable ocean habitats.

Pure Earth is cleaning up the environment and helping to improve the health of people and the planet. So far they’ve cleaned up toxins in 120 locations, but they need continued support to keep up this work.

6. Centre for Biological Diversity

You just need to gloss through the Centre for Biological Diversity’s website to understand the importance of their mission and how hard they work to achieve it. This is a testament both to their well-written website content and the nonprofit themselves.

They believe that ‘the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature’ and so work to secure a future for all species through science, law and creative media. They protect the lands, water, and climate that each species needs to survive.

While based in the US, the centre has run countless campaigns fighting worldwide threats. They’ve inspired 20,000 people to eat less meat to help prevent climate change, and they’re not stopping there.

The Centre for Biological Diversity is facing unprecedented challenges, with the US Endangered Species Act, which has been integral to their cause, now being significantly weakened by the Trump administration. The centre’s work is only going to get harder.

5. 350

350 is an international movement, focused on ‘building a future that is just, prosperous, equitable and safe from the effects of climate change’. Their main goal, and reason for their name, is to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.

The challenge facing 350 is massive, the planet is warming, 97% of climate scientists agree humans are causing it, and the warming we’re experiencing has already caused serious issues, with grain yields decreasing by 10% and over a million people being forced from their home due to rising sea levels.

The good news is 350 have a clear plan on how to protect our planets future. They say we need to transition to 100% renewable energy, ban all new oil, coal and gas projects, and completely divest, desponsor and defund existing nonrenewable energy sources.

4. Greenpeace

Since being founded in 1971, Greenpeace has become one of the best known environmental organisations. Their method of investigating, exposing and confronting environmental abuse garners a lot of media attention.

They’re also easily one of the biggest organisations on this list with 2.8 million supporters, a presence in 40+ countries and even owning 3 ships to help take the fight to the oceans.

Their size and reputation have allowed Greenpeace to achieve massive success in their work to defend the natural world. In recent years they’ve convinced the UK government to propose a ban on microplastics, achieved a temporary prohibition of commercial whaling and convinced numerous major corporations to cut ties with bad palm oil.

3. Sierra Club

Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organisation in the US, fighting for earth’s natural resources.

They’re well aware of the challenges they face, as they’re fighting against powerful special interests, but their national community and belief in actions over words has led to some major successes. With 4,500 rallies/events and more than 3 million petition signitures, Sierra Club has encouraged the passage of the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts and put over 281 coal plants on the path to replacement with clean energy.

Sierra Club is important for non-US citizens too, their campaigns have worldwide implications. The survival of natural ecosystems in the US, and change in how the US government and businesses treat the environment is essential to preventing climate collapse.

The US, being as big and diverse as it is, needs major efforts to protect its natural landscape and wildlife.

2. Oceana

Oceana was set up when a 1999 study revealed that less than 0.5% of all resources spent by environmental nonprofits in the US went to the oceans. They filled the gap and have been protecting and restoring the world’s oceans ever since.

They have won more than 200 solid victories and protected more than 4.5 million square miles of ocean. Recently, Oceana achieved a ban on the shark fin trade in Canada.

Oceana needs help from across the globe in order to do their incredibly important work and protect the oceans, which take up a massive 71% of the earth’s surface.

1. Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth is the biggest grassroots environmental campaign community in the world, spanning over 75 countries. They work with local groups, experts, business leaders and politicians to protect our planet, a planet they regard as ‘beautiful yet vulnerable.’

The change they’ve enacted both in the UK and across the world is powerful. Friends of the Earth helped to bring about the historic Climate Change Act, and successfully campaigned for doorstep recycling collection across the UK.

Along with being a source for change, their website is an incredible and accessible source of information of the state of our planet and what needs to be done.

On top of everything they’ve achieved, Friends of the Earth have set their sights for the future high. They’re aiming to double UK tree cover by 2045, reverse bee decline, stop fracking and much more.