Umweltstiftung Greenpeace

About the foundation

Umweltstiftung Greenpeace is part of the international Greenpeace network. It is dedicated to protecting the environment and nature and promotes peace research, aims to preserve the unique natural wealth of our planet and is committed to protecting the basis of life. To this end, it supports charitable projects in the areas of forest and climate protection, marine and species conservation and peace research, among others. Every year, it supports around 30 projects in Germany and worldwide. In this way, it strengthens Greenpeace's international campaign work through accompanying and complementary projects.

In a globalized economy, the foundation's capital works with ethical, social and ecological standards for the common good. Umweltstiftung Greenpeace is non-partisan and politically and financially independent.

Umweltstiftung Greenpeace has been committed to preserving and protecting the natural foundations of life for people and nature worldwide for 25 years. With a great deal of foresight and a wide range of sustainability issues, such as forest and biotope protection, marine conservation, biodiversity, animal welfare, climate protection and environmental technology, it is setting the right course for the future - for the benefit of current and future generations. The Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! is currently supporting the Umweltstiftung Greenpeace with three projects in order to master these major social and ecological challenges together.

AMAP e.V. (Almada Mata Atlântica Project)

The Mata Atlântica tropical forest on the east coast of Brazil is a species paradise - and one of the most endangered tropical forests in the world. Only around 10 percent of the original forest remains intact. In Bahia, on the cocoa coast of Brazil, the unique form of cocoa cultivation has so far preserved the biodiversity of the region, as the cocoa is grown in the shade of the original forests, in the cabruca. Cabrucas serve as corridors and habitats for native fauna, such as the highly endangered golden-headed lion tamarin. Through land purchase, reforestation and sustainable, ecological cocoa cultivation, AMAP promotes the conservation and expansion of the already highly fragmented habitat of the Mata Atlântica for people and nature.

We support the following projects with our funding:

Monitoring golden-headed lion tamarins
Golden-headed lion tamarins are only found on the cocoa coast of Bahia. They are severely threatened by habitat destruction and have only been able to survive because they can also use semi-natural cacao forests as a habitat if certain key species are available as food suppliers and sleeping areas.
In a monitoring project, golden-headed lion tamarins are being monitored over several years in various cacao forests using radio collars in order to decipher how these are used as habitats and which key factors are decisive for this. The results collected over the years in scientific articles will ultimately be used to create guidelines for cocoa farmers. The results will also be incorporated into the Ministry of the Environment's action plan for the protection of Brazil's primates.
Vicente dos Sanros Teixeira's doctoral thesis, published in 2024, provides an initial insight into the monitoring and beyond. Unfortunately, this shows that both the habitat and the populations of golden-headed lion tamarins are in sharp decline. These and other findings are incorporated into the monitoring and clearly show how necessary a rethink is for the conservation of the Mata Atlântica tropical forest and its biodiversity.

Research into the conservation of cocoa forests and biodiversity
In recent decades, economic pressure has led to the intensification of traditional cocoa cultivation or the complete abandonment of cultivation in favor of monocultures. This threatens the region's biodiversity as well as important ecosystem services such as groundwater and CO2 storage, erosion control and soil fertility. To counteract this, AMAP and scientists launched the Ecological Assessment Initiative (EAI) in 2022, a 10-year research program.
The EAI project identifies the consequences of changes in land use and researches ecological intensification methods for cocoa cultivation. The aim is to develop recommendations for cocoa farmers on how to preserve biodiversity and secure the long-term income of the local population. AMAP cooperates with Westlake University and the Brazilian Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz.
The research also feeds into the Global Agroforestry Network (GAN), a multidisciplinary network of researchers, farmers, decision-makers and NGOs. The aim is to better understand tropical agroforestry systems and to find out how ecological production strategies can be used to overcome the challenges of sustainability and climate change.
The first results of a technically complex and innovative monitoring system for persimmon flowers provide an indication of how this can be achieved. Tens of thousands of persimmon flowers were photographed individually for this research project. However, the focus is not on the flowers themselves, but rather on their pollinators. The photos can be used to identify their diversity. Once this unknown treasure trove of knowledge has been unearthed, the next step is to take measures to create a habitat for pollinators. Without any agrochemicals, yields can be increased and local biodiversity preserved at the same time.

Land purchase Santa Rita
In order to secure a 200-hectare, ecologically valuable farm, AMAP started the purchase of the Santa Rita farm in 2020. In addition to 35 hectares of pastureland, Santa Rita has 145 hectares of cocoa forest, which is home to several family groups of golden-headed lion tamarins. The purchase enables AMAP Brazil to preserve the ecologically valuable cocoa forests of Fazenda Santa Rita in the long term and to reforest the former grazing areas.

>> Flyer AMAP Monitoring - Project description (PDF) (german)
>> Flyer Application AMAP - EAI - Attachment Project description (PDF) (german)

Kids for Forests

At the end of May 2023, we received shocking news: The Russian Ministry of Justice had placed Greenpeace on its official list of "undesirable organizations". After more than 30 years, Greenpeace Russia had to cease its important work with immediate effect. This also marked the end of the Kids for Forests project, which the Umweltstiftung Greenpeace supported for almost 20 years.

Read a full statement from Greenpeace International here. (german)

What this dramatic development means for environmental protection and civil society in Russia remains to be seen. In the meantime, there is hope for the Kids for Forests project: the reforestation in Ugra National Park continues! In 2019, the Kids for Forests team launched a new lighthouse project here in the Kaluga region, 200 kilometers southwest of Moscow - as an important role model for other regions in Russia. Volunteers and park employees have been continuing the work on their own initiative since 2023. In October 2023 and April 2024, they organized impressive planting campaigns with more than 100 participants. More than a thousand of the oak, elm and maple seedlings grown in previous years found their way back into the ground. We are currently unable to continue supporting the project from abroad. We are therefore all the more pleased that the idea of turning fallow agricultural land back into forests will hopefully continue to spread.

Read more at: umweltstiftung-greenpeace.de/kids-for-forests (german)

Scouts go solar

Together with the World Association of Scouts and Guides, Solafrica trains scouts from all over the world to become "solar ambassadors". They are not only given the material, but also the knowledge to promote projects such as solar stoves, watches and flashlights in their home countries and to raise awareness and educate people in their communities.

The ongoing project was funded by the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! in 2020.