Annual Report 2009
greenpeace.org/seasia
Greenpeace Southeast Asia (SE Asia) was established in March 2000 in Thailand and in the Philippines where it has had a campaigning presence since 1998. The third office in the network was opened in Indonesia in 2005. Greenpeace has been campaigning against environmental degradation since 1971 when a small group of volunteers and journalists sailed to Amchitka, an island in the Aleutian chain off the southwest coast of Alaska, where the US government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This tradition of ‘bearing witness’ in a non-violent manner continues today. Greenpeace is present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Greenpeace International (formal registered Dutch name: Stichting Greenpeace Council) is the body that coordinates global Greenpeace policy and strategy. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants. Front cover photo: Climate defenders camp, Kampar Peninsula Indonesia, October 2009. ©Greenpeace/John Novis Back cover photo: Commemorating the Chernobyl tragedy, Quezon City, Philippines, April 2009. ©Greenpeace/VJ Villafranca
Chang(e) Caravan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, September 2009. ŠGreenpeace/Sataporn Thongma
Contents
4
Message from the Board Chair
6
Our Board Members
10
Message from the Executive Director
12
Vision, Mission, Core Values
14
Energy [R]evolution: a climate change solution
28
Protecting our ancient forests
38
Campaigning for Sustainable Agriculture
44
Creating a toxics-free future
52
Financial Highlights
56
The Year in Pictures
Opart is Thai and lives in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand Experience and expertise:
Environmental education, community-based natural resource management, and corporate social and environmental responsibility Term of office: December
2004 to November 2010
Opart Panya, Ph.D. Board Chair
2009 was a landmark year
in the history of Greenpeace Southeast Asia in terms of the growth of supporters and environmental dynamism in the region. This was the result of a great collective effort by all staff in our three national offices: Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In the global context, Greenpeace SE Asia has demonstrated the “One Greenpeace” identity, by bringing the local and regional environmental issues into the global landscape. Significantly, this annual report also suggests that people in developing countries, as the increased percentage of our supporters shows, can contribute a great deal in safeguarding the sustainability of our Mother Earth so that our children and their children can have healthy futures. On behalf of the Board, I am privileged to be part of this year’s success. But credit must go to our supporters, every Greenpeace SE Asia staff member, and the assistance of Greenpeace International.
Message from the Board Chair
The Board of Directors
of Greenpeace SE Asia approves the annual budget and the audited accounts. It also appoints the Greenpeace SE Asia Executive Director. Greenpeace SE Asia’s Board Members are normally elected for a three-year period by the Board Search Committee. Board members can be re-elected for three terms. Greenpeace SE Asia searches extensively for candidates for its Board. Candidates must be independent of Greenpeace SE Asia internal affairs, and have no vested interests that could bring them into conflict with Greenpeace’s interests and objectives. They should also be distinguished in their recognized fields. Collectively, the Board should provide skills, input and experience representing the Southeast Asian region. We aim to maintain a wide geographical representation and a gender balance on the Board, as well as a good spread of expertise in areas such as activism, the environment, communications, management, finance and law.
Suzy is Indonesian and lives in Jakarta, Indonesia Women’s rights, business management Experience and expertise:
August 2008 to July 2011
Term of office:
Suzy Hutomo Eco is Dutch and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands Experience and expertise:
Environmental studies, development cooperation, sustainable development, international advocacy, governance May 2009 to April 2012
Term of office:
Eco Matser our board members
Hercules is a Filipino and lives in Cebu City, Philippines NGO management and governance; organization development and change management; sustainable economic development; justice, peace and human/children’s rights, microenterprise and microfinance development Experience and expertise:
Term of office:
September 2005 to July 2011
Hercules C. Paradiang Polboon is Thai and lives in Bangkok, Thailand Corporate strategic management, marketing management Experience and expertise:
May 2007 to April 2010
Term of office:
Polboon Nuntamanop
Sanae is Japanese and lives in Kanagawa, Japan NGO management, education, support of refugees’ settlement Experience and expertise:
January 2003 to December 2010
Term of office:
Sanae Shida Harry is Indonesian and lives in Jakarta, Indonesia Experience and expertise:
Journalism, media education, social sciences August 2008 to July 2011
Term of office:
Harry Surjadi
2009 will be
remembered as the year when concerned citizens from all corners of the globe mobilized in record numbers to challenge world leaders to reverse the deadly advance of climate change. Greenpeace was at the forefront of public activities leading up to and at the muchheralded Copenhagen summit attended by the most powerful leaders on the planet. Throughout the entire climate negotiation process, our key demand has always been clear: a fair, ambitious and binding treaty was needed to avert the catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Von Hernandez Executive Director
Copenhagen, however, failed to deliver on that promise. Numerous postscripts have already been written about what went wrong and who to blame for the massive failure of leadership to produce a breakthrough agreement that could have kick-started the vital process of pulling the planet back from the brink of climate chaos. We are still skirting the edge of that critical threshold. When it comes to the worsening impacts of climate change, Southeast Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. Our people have had a brutal foretaste of this ugly truth following the series of monster typhoons, landslides and extensive droughts that have hit the region in recent times. Ironically, the region’s susceptibility to disasters does not translate into greater preparedness on the part of our governments and people. Our nations currently do not have the means or the capacity to deal with the unpredictable and calamitous consequences of runaway warming. The lives and future of our people continue to hang in the balance. This is why Greenpeace Southeast Asia remains committed and steadfast in its mission to bring about landmark and positive environmental changes for the region and the planet. As you
will see from this Annual Report, our organization leads in carrying out innovative actions and trailblazing projects across the region to bring us closer to our shared vision of a sustainable future. The future we are fighting for is one whose main features include the mainstream application of clean and renewable energy systems, the protection and rehabilitation of our remaining forests and declining water resources, and true food security built on the foundations of sustainable agriculture. Our milestones and campaign achievements in 2009 speak for themselves. Despite the daunting challenges that we face, we continue to win and make significant headway in our campaigns. Perhaps there is no better indication of our impact than the growing number of supporters in the region which at the end of last year surpassed the 48,000 mark. This unprecedented growth in Greenpeace SE Asia’s young history stands as an inspiring validation of the positive difference that we are making for our environment and the lives of our people. Your support makes it possible for us to champion the environment over and over again. With your help, we shall continue to stand and deliver. It is only a matter of time before the tide turns.
Message from the Executive Director
our MISSION ©Greenpeace/Sataporn Thongma
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organization that uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems and to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Therefore, Greenpeace seeks to:
our VISION An Earth able to nurture life in all its diversity.
• Protect diversity in all its forms; • Prevent pollution and abuse of the Earth’s oceans, land, air and fresh water; • End all nuclear threats; and • Promote peace, global disarmament and non-violence.
our Core Values Greenpeace’s cornerstone principles and core values are reflected in all our environmental campaign work, worldwide. These are: • We ‘bear witness’ to environmental destruction in a peaceful, non-violent manner; • We use non-violent confrontation to raise the level and quality of public debate; • In exposing threats to the environment and finding solutions we have no permanent allies or adversaries; • We ensure our financial independence from political or commercial interests; • We seek solutions for, and promote open, informed debate about society’s environmental choices. In developing our campaign strategies and policies we take great care to reflect our fundamental respect for democratic principles and to seek solutions that will promote global social equity.
vision, Mission, Core Values
“Greenpeace is calling on your Excellencies to represent the interests of Southeast Asian communities and future generations by pushing the international community to take immediate responsibility and help avert climate catastrophe,” said Von Hernandez, Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, in a letter addressed to ASEAN heads of state.
campaign highlights : Climate and Energy
COP15 Global Day of Action, Quezon City, Philippines, December 2009. ©Greenpeace/Buck Pago
Energy [R]evolution: a climate change solution
Call to action at the ASEAN Summit, Hua Hin, Thailand, February 2009. ©Greenpeace/Vinai Dithajohn
Southeast Asia is recognized as among the regions most vulnerable and least prepared to face the impacts of climate change. Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia count among the countries most affected by this global crisis. In our work in 2009, campaigning for solutions to climate change remained at the forefront, particularly taking into account the hopes of the global community regarding the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Summit in December. For Greenpeace, it is clear that nothing less than a fair, ambitious and binding (FAB) climate treaty should be adopted by world leaders. A FAB deal will not only reverse the march of dangerous climate change – it will also help us tackle the world’s biggest challenges. With the Energy [R]evolution – an innovative way in which we produce, distribute and use power – governments can create millions of green jobs, reduce healthcare costs, lift millions out of poverty, and put renewable energy into the hands of all citizens.
“Aliens” rally at the Asian Development Bank, Metro Manila, Philippines, June 2009. ©Greenpeace/Gigie Cruz-Sy
Greenpeace work to stop coal use as a solution to climate change is already well-established in the Philippines and Thailand. In February 2009, we started the year by expanding our coal work into Indonesia. Working with allies we launched a campaign against building new, and expanding existing, coal-fired power plants in the country. The first steps – the launch of our ‘True Cost of Coal’ report, a camp and a direct action – found resonance among community and local leaders. In the Philippines, in March and April, we took the lead on public opposition against a proposed bill to revive a mothballed nuclear power plant by creatively and constantly countering false propaganda by the pro-nuclear industry and congressmen with vested interests. This successfully stalled the bill from being resurrected. Later in June, the Asian Development Bank doubled its funding for Renewable Energy to two billion US dollars from the initial one billion dollar fund that was a result of Greenpeace interventions.
Tcktcktck coalition launch activity in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 2009. ŠGreenpeace/Oka Budhi
In August, Greenpeace SE Asia led the regional launch of the Tcktcktck campaign, with activities in Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila. The Tcktcktck alliance, under the Gobal Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA), brought together a wide spectrum of nongovernment organizations working on issues such as the environment, poverty and social justice, gender and human rights, to urge governments to confront the challenge of climate change.
Launch of Energy Efficient Makati, Philippines, July 2009. ©Greenpeace/Joseph Agcaoili
Around the same time, the Green DJ project in Thailand involved the youth as ambassadors of environmental issues, particularly climate change, in a radio program broadcasted weekly nationwide for the rest of the year. In the meantime, in the Philippines, we advanced our advocacy for solutions as the Energy Efficiency campaign signed on Makati City, the central business district in the Philippines, to be the first city in Southeast Asia to commit to implementation of comprehensive energy efficiency measures. Solutions work in the Philippines culminated later in the year, when, following a fruitful yearlong engagement with stakeholders in Boracay Island, the Philippine Department of Tourism announced that it would adopt our ‘Save the Climate, Save Boracay’ initiative in the top tourist destinations in the country.
UNFCCC head Yvo de Boer receives “small change for the climate” from the Chang(e) Caravan, Bangkok, Thailand, September 2009. ©Greenpeace/Athit Perawongmetha
Throughout September, our Chang(e) Caravan traveled 200 kilometers from Khao Yai National Park, a world heritage site in central Thailand, to Bangkok. Along the route the caravan raised awareness on the need for climate change solutions. The stories collected – of threatened biodiversity, deforestation, water scarcity, salinity ingress and sea level rise – served as a platform to voice the demands of climate-change impacted communities throughout Southeast Asia. During the tour, a short but momentous speech, delivered by ‘Faux-bama’, an Indonesian look-alike of the US President, drew worldwide attention to the need for world leaders to attend the UN Climate Summit held in Copenhagen. The tour culminated in Bangkok where the last rounds of UN climate negotiations prior to the meeting in Copenhagen were being held. Five Thai children, representing the 1.4 million people who had signed a petition calling on heads of states to create a “FAB” climate treaty, handed over ‘small change for the climate’ to UN’s top climate official Yvo De Boer, to call on countries to put money on the table for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. At the end of the UN Climate talks in Bangkok, the delegates were given postcards from the Philippines which was currently reeling from the devastation wrought by Typhoons Ketsana and Parma.
“Faux-bama,” calls for climate action in front of the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, September 2009. ©Greenpeace/Athit Perawongmetha
Milestones u Investments in and targets for Renewable Energy in
the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia increased. u ADB announced additional one billion dollar funding
for clean energy development in the region. u Geothermal energy uptake in Indonesia
received ADB funding. u The bill for the revival of a mothballed Philippine
nuclear power plant was delayed. u Muslim leaders of Java reiterated their
position (fatwa) against the development of nuclear energy in Indonesia. u Communities of Bo Nok, Nakhon si Thammarat,
Surat Thani and Chumphon, Nakhorn Sawan and Chainart provinces in Thailand rejected nuclear power proposals in their provinces.
“We want Greenpeace to stay in this camp as long as possible. Their presence in Semenanjung Kampar [the Kampar Peninsula] is really helping us protect this forest from destruction… If in the future Greenpeace is forced to leave Kampar, we demand that APRIL [a large pulp and paper company] should also get out of Kampar” said Suwandi, a school teacher in Teluk Meranti.
campaign highlights : Forests
Aerial view of pristine Indonesian forests, July 2009. ©Daniel Beltrá/Greenpeace
Protecting our ancient forests
Intact Peatland Forest in Indonesia, September 2009. ©Kajsa Sjolander/Greenpeace
By defending our forests we are not only protecting forest communities, endangered species such as orangutans and tigers and some of the richest ecosystems in the world – we are also defending the global climate essential for all life on earth. With the Indonesian government’s plans to open up vast areas of forests and peatlands for pulp and paper as well as palm oil plantations, presidential elections, and the critical UN climate summit slated for December in Copenhagen, 2009 was a decisive year for protecting our forests and climate. Our work on forests started on a high note in April, when, at Indonesia’s anticorruption bureau, we filed a complaint against the Forest Minister for reissuing controversial forest clearing permits to 14 companies. A few months later, Greenpeace activists joined community members to extinguish forest fires raging out of control in the Riau province of Sumatra using equipment Greenpeace had provided to the community in 2007. Most fires were lit deliberately to clear land for palm oil and paper plantations.
Climate action to prevent rainforest destruction in the Kampar Peninsula in Indonesia, November 2009. ©Greenpeace/John Novis
The “Vote for Forests, Vote for Our Future” campaign in June and July gathered political momentum for our call for an immediate moratorium on forest and peatland conversion when we polled 38 national political parties and mobilized the public to vote for those who pledge to protect the nation’s fast disappearing forests. In August, we took action against Indonesia’s largest forest criminal, Sinar Mas, in the heart of Borneo by stopping work in palm oil concessions surrounding the Danau Sentarum National Park, one of the largest wetlands in the world, source of Indonesia’s largest and longest river Kapuas Hulu, and the main source of protein for West Kalimantan’s 4.5 million people. By November, to communicate the urgency of action on forest protection, we set up the Greenpeace Climate Defenders Camp in the heart of the Indonesian rainforest in Riau, Sumatra. Greenpeace activists remained there for several weeks successfully bringing urgent international attention to the role that deforestation plays in driving dangerous climate change.
Community support at the Greenpeace Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula, November 2009 ©Greenpeace/Ardiles Rante
Local communities in the Kampar area worked tirelessly alongside Indonesian and international Greenpeace activists to set up the Climate Defenders’ Camp and to construct a dam that prevents canals from draining the peatland for pulp and paper plantations and stopping the subsequent release of millions of tons of greenhouse gasses. Following Greenpeace exposés and non-violent direct actions during the camp, the government suspended forest clearance permits of APRIL, pending review, and the world’s largest consumer of palm oil, Unilever, cancelled their £20 million annual contract with Sinar Mas after they were presented with Greenpeace evidence of Sinar Mas’s destructive activities. A key development in December was significant progress on an international level to fast-track funds for tropical forest protection. It was an emotional moment when we passed the keys of the Camp to local communities who have pledged to continue the campaign. Greenpeace will maintain its work in the area to protect biodiversity, develop sustainable livelihoods for communities and prevent the emission of millions of tons of greenhouse gasses through deforestation.
Milestones
Call for climate leadership in Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula, November 2009. ŠGreenpeace/John Novis
u The Indonesian President announced
a 26% to 41% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions which should be a first step toward a moratorium on forest peatland conversion. u Most ASEAN countries now support a UN-
governed REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) fund on the lines of Greenpeace recommendations. u Forest clearance permits of APRIL
were reviewed resulting in a halt to further deforestation in APRILowned forests of Sumatra. u An interim fund was created for early
action for forest protection pledged by developed countries in Copenhagen.
Rice is inextricably linked with the culture and way of life of people in Southeast Asia and this rich rice heritage must be protected through sustainable rice farming. The best way to do this is to invest in productive and ecological farming methods that are not dependent on genetically-engineered (GE) crops or harmful chemical inputs.
campaign highlights : sustainable agriculture
Planting organic rice in Ratchaburi, Thailand, July 2009. ©Greenpeace/Athit Perawongmetha
Campaigning for Sustainable Agriculture
Aerial photo of organic ‘Rice Art’ in Ratchaburi, Thailand, October 2009. ©Greenpeace/Athit Perawongmetha
Thailand is a country deeply rooted in farming traditions and farmers are considered the backbone of the nation. In January 2009, Greenpeace nominated Thailand for the Guinness World Records as the largest exporter of rice in the world, accounting for 27 percent of all rice traded in world markets. A few months later in March, the province of Ifugao in the Philippines, home to the two thousand-year old Ifugao Rice Terraces, a UNESCO living Cultural Heritage site, was declared a GMO (genetically modified organism or GE) Free zone. The historic declaration follows in the footsteps of five other provinces who have gone GE-Free due to Greenpeace campaigning since 2003. A massive project to plant ‘rice art’ in Thailand was also launched in March to promote sustainable agriculture and remind governments to protect our most important food crop from the threats of GE crops and climate change, Greenpeace supporters, volunteers, local farmers and communities in Ratchaburi province, central Thailand, planted organic rice to create Thailand’s first ever large scale living sculpture depicting local farmers in Ratchaburi. This event led to the declaration of the provincial Governor to keep the province GE-rice free.
Banaue Rice Terraces declared a geneticaly-modified organism (GMO)-free zone, Philippines, March 2009. ©Greenpeace/Levi Nayahangan
Milestones u In Thailand the Ministry of
Science and Technology reconfirmed that there will be no development of GE rice. u In the Philippines, due to our legal
battle with Bayer and the Department of Agriculture, plans to commercialize GE rice in Philippines were stalled. u A Thai court acquitted two
Greenpeace activists of all criminal charges related to their role in exposing the Ministry of Agriculture’s complicity in the country’s biggest GE contamination scandal which threatened the livelihoods of thousands of papaya farmers around the country.
Everyone has the right to clean water. But today this right is being violated by activities that destroy freshwater ecosystems and threaten our health. Unfettered industrial development, coupled with poor pollution prevention policies has contributed to the steady decline in the quality of our freshwater resources. Unless something is done to reverse this situation, we could be headed for a water crisis. campaign highlights : water
Toxic-free Chao Phraya tour, Thailand, May 2009. ©Greenpeace/Vinai Dithajohn
Creating a toxics-free future
Toxic-free Chao Phraya tour, Thailand, May 2009. ©Greenpeace/Vinai Dithajohn
Our water campaign in Thailand and the Philippines continues to confront this problem head on. In early 2009, we launched the report “Water pollution risk areas of Thailand” which reveals that almost 93 percent of the total land area of Thailand is at risk from water pollution. Within these risk areas, almost 7 percent is classified as ‘high risk’ and could impact over four million Thai citizens if corrective action is not taken immediately. The campaign used online maps to show the extent of pollution. Greenpeace amplified this message in May during the ‘Toxics-Free Chao Phraya’ river tour aimed to inspire all stakeholders of the river – government and industry, polluters and impacted communities – to catalyse a collective effort to find solutions to save the Chao Phraya. We worked with hundreds of people to clean up the river, documented and confirmed pollution sources and held forums. At the end of the tour the governor of Ayutthaya pledged to address the issue of pollution of the river, especially the increasing domestic and industrial waste discharge in canals and the river itself.
International Coastal Clean-up Day, Laguna Province, Philippines, September 2009. ©Greenpeace/Jed Delano
In the Philippines, the adoption of stringent environmental measures in June for the closing of the Taytay dumpsite on the bank of Laguna Lake came after months of campaigning for proper clean-up of the site. Our rapid response activities in October also enabled us to achieve government action for the clean-up of Nangka River which the local government was using as a waste dump. Later in October, Greenpeace’s exposé about a waste treatment facility leaking hazardous chemicals into a creek near Laguna Lake led to its temporary closure and eventual adoption of Greenpeace demands.
Water Patrol activists examine contaminated sediments in a creek in Cavite, Philippines, October 2009. ŠGreenpeace/Joseph Agcaoili
Milestones u Innovative rapid response
interventions by our Water Patrol in the Philippines led to two important quick wins – the clean-up of Nangka River as ordered by the Marikina City government, and the closure of a polluting waste treatment facility which was leaking chemicals into a tributary of Laguna Lake. u Identification of pollution
hotspots was initiated during the Toxics-Free Chao Phraya River Tour and the ongoing documentation of these hotspots by our Water Patrol.
Financial highlights
Raising Money to Save the Planet
Constructing the Climate Defenders Camp in Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula, November 2009. ©Will Rose/Greenpeace
Giving the environment a voice Greenpeace can only take risks and confront others because of our political and economic independence – we do not accept funding from any government or corporation. Our independence gives us authority and credibility. We are supported by individuals and trusts who believe in our aims. By the end of 2009, Greenpeace had over 3 million financial supporters around the world with 48,000 of these in Southeast Asia and 6,000 here in The Philippines. The future of the environment rests with these millions of people around the world who share our beliefs, and who continue to support us. We thank all of these supporters. Because of them, Greenpeace is able to tackle environmental problems and promote solutions. And together, we are making a real difference. Where the money comes from In 2009, Greenpeace Southeast Asia raised PHP 111,197,112, an increase of 62% from 2008. This is performance is attributed to more people than we’d hoped joining us as regular monthly givers.
Across the region we brought in THB 43,776,842 in Thailand, PHP 11,175,547 in the Philippines and IDR 7,918,624,858 in Indonesia. To meet our campaigning goals, Greenpeace is committed to growing our supporter base around the world. In 2009 Southeast Asia was the biggest growing office in the Greenpeace world (in terms of new supporters and gross fundraising). We grew from 32,000 supporters in 2008 to 48,000 in 2009. How they were used
ŠGreenpeace/Sataporn Thongma
Greenpeace takes its responsibility for transparency and accountability very seriously. We always ensure the efficient use of funds given by the people who support us.
The figures were extracted from our audited financial statements. To see our full audited report, please get in touch with our supporter services team through the contact details at the end of this report.
Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
Greenpeace Southeast Asia www.greenpeace.org/seasia
Thailand
138/1 2nd floor Thong Building Sutthisan Road Samsen-nai, Phayathai Bangkok 10400 tel: +66 2 3571921 fax: +66 2 3571929 supporterservices.th @greenpeace.org
Philippines
Room 301 JGS Building 30 Scout Tuason Street Quezon City 1103 tel: +63 2 332 1807 fax:+63 2 332 1806 supporterservices.ph @greenpeace.org
Indonesia
Jalan Kemang Utara No. 16B Jakarta 12730 tel: +62 21 718 2857 fax:+62 21 718 2858 supporterservices.id @greenpeace.org