Global Green is the English-American affiliate of Green Cross International, an international non-governmental organization founded by former Soviet leader

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

in 1993 to "foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future." Green Cross International operates in over 30 countries and enjoys consultative status with the

United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields of the organization, specifically in regards to the fifteen specialized ...

, and

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. Global Green USA is on a 10 year mission to "lead a global response to keep us within planetary boundaries" and to "bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace". GCI is an admitted observer organization with the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. It is an international treaty among countries to combat "dangerous human interference with th ...

and the Conference of the Parties to the

UN Convention to Combat Desertification The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through ...

. It also cooperates directly with the UNEP/OCHA Environmental Emergencies Section,

UN-HABITAT The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1977 as an outcome of the first United Nations Conference on Human Settleme ...

and other international organizations. Celebrity advocates include

Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

and Pat Mitchell, who serves as an Honorary Board Member. William Bridge serves both as Chairman of Green Cross International and CEO of Global Green USA.

History

In October 1987, five years before the first

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92, Cúpula da Terra), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

addressed a gathering in the Arctic city of

Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...

, and for the first time linked the concepts of environmental protection, nuclear disarmament, broader security concerns and development. On 19 January 1990, in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

during an address to the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Survival, Mikhail Gorbachev suggested creating an “international Green Cross that offers its assistance to States in ecological trouble.” In other words, the world needed a body that would apply the medical emergency response model of the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...

to ecological issues, and expedite solutions to environmental problems that transcend national borders. On 6 June 1992, six months after leaving office, the Rio Earth Summit civil society delegates appealed to Mikhail Gorbachev to create and launch Green Cross International. At the same time, Swiss National Council parliamentarian Roland Wiederkehr, founded a “World Green Cross” with the same objective. The organizations merged in 1993 to form Green Cross International. Green Cross International (GCI) was formally launched in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

, Japan, on April 18, 1993. On the invitation of Mikhail Gorbachev, many renowned figures joined and continue to serve on its board of directors and Honorary Board. The first Green Cross National Organizations (GCNOs) formally joined GCI in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, The Netherlands, in the Spring of 1994. These included Japan, The Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, and the United States. In 2007, Starbucks and Global Green have teamed up to launch Planet Green Game, an online game where "players can explore a virtual world and learn how everyday decisions by individuals, cities, schools and businesses can impact the climate and environment." In 2022 Global Green USA agreed to advance US$20.5 million to the Make It Right Foundation and to oversee the distribution of the funds following the settlement of a

class-action lawsuit A class action is a form of lawsuit. Class Action may also refer to: * ''Class Action'' (film), 1991, starring Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio * Class Action (band), a garage house band * "Class Action" (''Teenage Robot''), a 2002 e ...

against the latter foundation. The Make It Right Foundation was founded by Hollywood actor

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...

and others following

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

to rebuild homes in the Lower Ninth Ward of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Those houses had problems with construction and the residents sued the Make It Right Foundation and Brad Pitt. Global Green's CEO William Bridge was quoted by The Times-Picayune newspaper as saying that Global Green “had a great relationship with Make It Right and Brad Pitt” and that his organization's board of directors' goal was “to plug it (the money) back into the community.” Today, Green Cross International is headquartered in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, Switzerland with member countries in Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada ( PrepCom), Czech Republic, Denmark, Eswatini, France et Territoires, Ghana, Hungary, Taiwan (Information Office), Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, Panama, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States.

Board of directors

* Diane Meyer Simon, Founder of Global Green * Trammel S. Crow, Co-Chair of Global Green & Founder of EarthX * Michael Cain, Vice Chair of Global Green & CEO of EarthX Film * Rajiv Shukla, Vice Chair of Global Green & Independent Director of Ocunexus Therapeutics Inc. * Vered Nisim, Secretary of Global Green & Founder of Curagenics & President of Brellascope * Les McCabe, Treasurer of Board & CEO of Junior Achievement * Christiana Musk, Founder of Flourish*ink & Curator for Near Future Summit * Robbianne Mackin, Senior Vice President of Principal Gifts for The New York Academy of Sciences *

Ovie Mughelli Ovie Phillip Mughelli (born June 10, 1980) is a former American football fullback (American football), fullback who played for the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Wa ...

, Former Atlanta Falcons football player & Founder of The Ovie Mughelli Foundation * Sarah Meyer Simon, Co-Owner of Base Coat & Partner of The Butcher’s Daughter & Founder of The Simon Collective * Rick Fedrizzi, Founding Chair of USGBC & CEO of the International WELL Building Institute * Carlton A. Brown, Founding partner & COO of Full Spectrum NY * Asher Simon, Artist & Musician * Don Burris, Founder & Senior Partner of Burris & Schoenberg, LLP * Tony Keane, CEO of EarthX * Kai Milla-Morris, Fashion Designer & Former wife of Stevie Wonder

Emeritus Board Members

Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...

* Robert S. Bucklin * Jerry Moss * Lee H. Hamilton *

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to New York City ...

* John Paul DeJoria *

* Dr. Jane Goodall * Jayni Chase *

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...

* Pat Mitchell * Scott Seydel *

* Chief Oren Lyons *

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

References

{{reflist Environmental organizations based in California Environmental organizations established in 1993 Sustainability