Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand

1. Business / Trading Name:

• Greenpeace Aotearoa Incorporated (current legal name, since Nov 2020)

• Greenpeace of New Zealand Incorporated (former legal name and trading name until 2020)

2. Company Number: 244043

3. NZBN: 9429042628842

4. Entity Type: Incorporated Society (non-profit)

5. Business Classification: Environmental advocacy and charitable campaigning (provides “advice/information/advocacy” on environmental issues)

6. Industry Category: Non-profit environmental organisation (independent NGO)

7. Year Founded: 1974 (formally incorporated 1976)

8. Addresses:

• Registered Office: 11 Akiraho Street, Mount Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand

• Postal Address: Private Bag 92507, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

9. Website URL: www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/

10. LinkedIn URL: https://nz.linkedin.com/company/greenpeace-nz

11. Company Hub NZ URL: Data Not Found (no listing on CompanyHub; see BizDB or Charities Register for details)

12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.businessregisters.govt.nz/sber-businesses/viewInstance/view.html?id=229a78e05307b6d8bf1b29667f00cb17e93f5a94bd58d061&_timestamp=1349697117671420 (incorporated societies register)

13. Social Media URLs:

• Facebook: facebook.com/greenpeace.nz

• Twitter (X): twitter.com/GreenpeaceNZ

• Instagram: instagram.com/greenpeacenz

• YouTube: youtube.com/GreenpeaceNZ (Greenpeace Aotearoa channel)

• TikTok: tiktok.com/@greenpeacenz

14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. Greenpeace Aotearoa is an independent national office, affiliated with the global Greenpeace International network (Stichting Greenpeace Council, based in the Netherlands).

15. Key Shareholders: None. (Non-profit entity with no share capital – operates on donations; no owners or shareholders)

16. Leadership:

• Dr. Russel Norman – Executive Director (appointed Nov 2015; former Green Party co-leader/MP)

• Tui Warmenhoven – Board Chair (elected Chair June 2020; iwi researcher)

• Emalani Case – Deputy Chair (appointed May 2021; academic)

17. Staff: Approximately 51–200 employees (estimated range). Staff include campaigners, researchers, fundraisers, and volunteers across New Zealand.

18. Staff with Previous Government Roles:

• Russel Norman – served as a New Zealand Member of Parliament (Green Party co-leader, 2008–2015) before joining Greenpeace as Executive Director.

• Catherine Delahunty – former Green Party MP (2008–2017) who later served on Greenpeace Aotearoa’s board (2018–2022).

(No known ex-government ministers on staff; Greenpeace maintains non-partisan hiring, but does attract ex-MPs from the environmental political sphere.)

19. Past Employees:

• Ann “Bunny” McDiarmid – Executive Director of Greenpeace NZ (2005–2015); a 30-year Greenpeace veteran who later became co-Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

• Stephanie Mills – Former Greenpeace NZ Chair and long-time campaigner (served as Board Chair until 2019). (Numerous other activists and staff have passed through the organisation, many remaining in the non-profit and environmental sector.)

20. Clients: Data Not Found. (Greenpeace is a campaigning charity and has no clients in a commercial sense – it is funded by individual supporters, not client contracts.)

21. Industries/Sectors Represented: Greenpeace advocates for the environmental and conservation sector, representing public interest in climate action, ocean protection, forest conservation, and sustainable agriculture. (It does not lobby on behalf of industries, but often opposes high-pollution industries such as fossil fuels, industrial fishing, and intensive dairying.)

22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements:

• 2018 – Oil & Gas Ban Petition: In March 2018, Greenpeace delivered a 50,000-signature petition to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling for an end to offshore oil and gas exploration. One month later, the Government announced a historic ban on new offshore oil permits.

• Feb 2021 – Fertiliser Petition: Greenpeace presented a 33,000-strong petition to Parliament (accepted by Environment Minister David Parker) urging a phase-out of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to protect water and climate.

• June 2023 – Deforestation Imports Petition: Greenpeace campaigners delivered a 16,000-signature petition to Parliament (received by Green MP Eugenie Sage) calling on NZ to halt imports of products linked to tropical deforestation.

(Greenpeace also regularly makes submissions to parliamentary consultations and appears in Select Committee hearings on environmental legislation, as well as orchestrating public protests that engage MPs.)

23. Affiliations:

• Greenpeace International – Greenpeace Aotearoa is formally part of this global network of independent national Greenpeace offices in over 55 countries.

• Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ (ECO) – Member of this umbrella coalition of New Zealand environmental NGOs (alongside groups like Forest & Bird and Friends of the Earth).

• Issue-Based Coalitions: Collaborates in ad-hoc alliances with indigenous groups and NGOs (e.g. partnered with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui iwi, Forest & Bird, 350 Aotearoa, etc., in the “Stop Deep Sea Oil” coalition).

24. Sponsorships / Collaborations:

• Stop Deep Sea Oil Flotilla (2011): Greenpeace joined forces with the iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and others to launch a flotilla protest against Petrobras’ deep-sea drilling off East Cape. This collaboration between Greenpeace, local Māori leadership, and groups like Coromandel Watchdog and 350.org successfully pressured the oil company to exit NZ waters.

• Climate Shift Coalition (2023): Greenpeace teamed up with Forest & Bird and Oxfam Aotearoa to propose a joint “Climate Shift” policy plan, pooling the influence of NZ’s major environmental NGOs in lobbying for stronger climate action.

(Greenpeace does not engage in corporate sponsorships – it refuses corporate/government funding to maintain independence, so collaborations are mission-driven partnerships rather than sponsorship deals.)

25. Events (Organised by Organisation):

• Rainbow Warrior Tour (2018): Greenpeace’s flagship sailing vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, toured New Zealand for six weeks in late 2018, holding open-boat days and community events to celebrate the new oil exploration ban and promote clean energy solutions. Supporters were invited aboard at ports around the country as part of the “Making Oil History” tour.

• “March for Nature” Protest (June 2024): Greenpeace organised a large protest march in Auckland on 8 June 2024 against the Government’s proposed Fast-Track Approvals Bill, rallying hundreds of people. Greenpeace Executive Director Russel Norman and Forest & Bird CEO Nicola Toki jointly led the demonstration and gave speeches condemning the pro-development legislation.

(Other recurring events include public petition handovers at Parliament, protest actions (e.g. scaling buildings, banner drops), and online webinars like “Greenpeace Live”. Greenpeace’s activism often blurs “events” and demonstrations.)

26. Political Donations: None disclosed. Greenpeace does not donate to political parties or candidates – it is legally non-partisan and refrains from partisan funding. (On the contrary, Greenpeace campaigns for stricter political donation laws to curb corporate influence. Its independence is maintained by refusing government or corporate money.)

27. Controversies:

• Charitable Status Legal Battle: Greenpeace of NZ was denied registration as a charity in 2010 on grounds that its advocacy and “political” activities (e.g. promoting disarmament and environmental law changes) were non-charitable and that it had an alleged “illegal purpose” (civil disobedience). Greenpeace fought this decision through the courts. In 2014, the NZ Supreme Court ruled that political advocacy can be charitable if it furthers a public-benefit end, overturning the old “blanket exclusion” on political purposes. The Charities Board still resisted, but in 2020 the High Court definitively ordered Greenpeace’s registration, finding the Board “was in error in declining” the application and that Greenpeace’s main purpose – “to advocate for protection of the environment” – is charitable. This decade-long saga (2010–2020) drew attention to Greenpeace’s confrontational tactics (e.g. trespass in protests) and raised debates about charities and politics. Greenpeace Aotearoa is now a registered charity (since 2018), but the case set a precedent in charity law.

• Civil Disobedience and Legal Scrapes: Greenpeace’s use of non-violent direct action has occasionally led to arrests and court proceedings. In April 2017, Russel Norman and fellow activist Sara Howell swam in front of the Amazon Warrior seismic-blasting ship to halt oil exploration. They were charged under the Crown Minerals Act for obstructing the survey, but in 2018 were discharged without conviction by the court. Earlier, in 2011, Greenpeace activists and local iwi famously confronted Petrobras’s oil ship, leading to police warnings (and ultimately Petrobras abandoning its permit). Such incidents highlight the fine line Greenpeace walks – proudly breaking rules it sees as unjust, while opponents sometimes label these acts illegal. (The Charities Board at one point cited Greenpeace’s willingness to “resort to illegal activities” as a concern.)

• Political Clashes: Greenpeace’s confrontational style has led to public spats with government figures. In 2019, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash lambasted Russel Norman as living in an “alternate reality” after Greenpeace attacked a backdown on fishing reforms. Nash’s cabinet colleague Shane Jones (NZ First) accused Norman of “ranting” as a fundraising strategy for Greenpeace, implying the organisation manufactures outrage for donations. Greenpeace, for its part, has openly criticized ministers’ conflicts of interest – for example, exposing Shane Jones’s receipt of a $10,000 fishing industry donation and suggesting it influenced policy. These feuds have been aired in the media, painting Greenpeace as both a political gadfly and a target of establishment ire.

• Transparency Gaps: As an unregistered lobbying force, Greenpeace’s access to decision-makers has raised questions. It operated outside the charities framework for years (2008–2018), during which it was exempt from filing financial returns due to the court case – a long period with limited public financial disclosure. Moreover, while Greenpeace trumpets its people-powered petitions, it does not publicly report its private lobbying meetings. (For instance, Greenpeace met with ministers and the Prime Minister in 2022 to lobby for an Oceans Treaty, but details of such meetings emerge only in its own reports, not any public registry.) Critics suggest this “backroom” influence lacks formal transparency, even as Greenpeace demands transparency of others.

28. Other Information of Note:

• Finances: Annual income has grown significantly post-charity registration – from NZ$8.75 million in 2020 to NZ$14.8 million in 2023 – funded almost entirely by individual donors. Greenpeace touts that it accepts “no money from companies or government,” to preserve independence. This funding model, while virtuous, relies on continual public fundraising campaigns (which some politicians claim drives Greenpeace’s headline-grabbing tactics).

• Organisational Structure: Greenpeace Aotearoa operates in tandem with the Greenpeace New Zealand Charitable Trust, a separately registered charity used for educational and benevolent projects (allowing donors tax credits). The Incorporated Society and the Trust are closely linked – Greenpeace Inc can support the Trust’s purposes – enabling Greenpeace to pursue both high-impact advocacy (through the Society) and charitable education (through the Trust).

• Name and Te Tiriti Commitment: In November 2020, the organisation formally changed its name from “Greenpeace New Zealand” to “Greenpeace Aotearoa”, as a public acknowledgement of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the need to decolonise environmental work. The name change is part of Greenpeace’s efforts to integrate indigenous Māori perspectives – an internal shift signalled by appointing Māori leaders (like Chair Tui Warmenhoven and board member Te Kawa Robb) and collaborating with iwi on campaigns.

• Campaign Impact: Greenpeace Aotearoa is widely regarded as one of NZ’s most influential advocacy groups. It has played key roles in major policy shifts – from the nuclear-free NZ stance in the 1980s (where the bombing of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985 galvanized public support), to recent victories like the oil exploration ban (2018) and the plastic bag ban (2019) which the Government explicitly attributed to public pressure (“people power”) catalysed by Greenpeace. This track record has cemented Greenpeace’s reputation as a formidable lobbyist for environmental causes, albeit one operating outside conventional lobbying regulation.

29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: No. Greenpeace Aotearoa is not listed as a Wage Subsidy recipient during the COVID-19 pandemic (it criticised the subsidy’s design and did not rely on it). The organisation instead continued its work through remote operations and urged that any corporate subsidy windfalls be clawed back for green investment.

Sources:

1. Greenpeace Aotearoa Incorporated – Charity Summary, Charities Services (DIA), https://register.charities.govt.nz/Charity/CC58459 (Legal name, NZBN, address, registration details)

2. Businesscheck Company Info: Greenpeace Aotearoa Incorporated, Businesscheck.co.nz, https://businesscheck.co.nz/ltd/9429042628842/ (Incorporated Society, company number, name changes, addresses, officers)

3. Greenpeace Aotearoa Incorporated – Charities Register (Annual Returns), Charities Services (DIA), https://register.charities.govt.nz/Charity/CC58459 (Financial summary 2020–2023, officer list)

4. “We have changed our name to Greenpeace Aotearoa”, Greenpeace Aotearoa (official website), 16 Feb 2021, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/we-have-changed-our-name-to-greenpeace-aotearoa/ (AGM decision in 2020 to rename, rationale re: Te Tiriti)

5. Greenpeace Aotearoa – Board and Governance, Greenpeace Aotearoa, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/about/board-and-governance/ (Board structure, election, and bios of Russel Norman, Tui Warmenhoven, etc.)

6. Greenpeace Aotearoa LinkedIn Profile, LinkedIn.com, https://nz.linkedin.com/company/greenpeace-nz (Industry: Non-profit, Founded 1974, Company size 51-200, headquarters Auckland)

7. “Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand” (Wikipedia entry), Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpeace_Aotearoa_New_Zealand (History: founded 1974, nuclear testing protests, Rainbow Warrior bombing, revenue 2014)

8. “New Zealand bans all new offshore oil exploration…”, The Guardian, 12 Apr 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/12/new-zealand-bans-all-new-offshore-oil-exploration-as-part-of-carbon-neutral-future (Govt announcement of oil permit ban, Greenpeace petition of 50,000 noted, Russel Norman quote)

9. “Plastic bag ban a win for people power and the oceans”, Greenpeace Aotearoa Press Release, 10 Aug 2018, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/plastic-bag-ban-proposal-a-win-for-people-power-and-the-oceans-greenpeace/ (Greenpeace reaction to Govt proposal, notes 65,000 signatures delivered Feb 2018 with open letter from Helen Clark, Sam Neill, etc.)

10. “33,000 people call for Govt to cut synthetic nitrogen fertiliser”, Greenpeace Aotearoa Press Release (by Steve Abel), 9 Feb 2021, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/33000-people-call-for-govt-to-cut-synthetic-nitrogen-fertiliser/ (Petition delivered on Parliament’s first day 2021, Minister David Parker accepts petition, 9-metre banner “Climate crisis: Cut synthetic fertiliser.”)

11. “Call for halt to NZ importing products linked to deforestation”, Greenpeace Aotearoa Press Release, 27 Jun 2023, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/call-for-halt-to-nz-importing-products-linked-to-deforestation/ (Petition of ~16,000 delivered to Parliament, received by MP Eugenie Sage, visuals of Greenpeace activists with forest images)

12. Stuart Nash attacks Russel Norman, says he lives in ‘alternative reality’, NZ Herald, 4 Feb 2019 (Derek Cheng), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/stuart-nash-attacks-russel-norman-says-he-lives-in-alternative-reality/WYTHQIOESQFOHP67M6OUIC6CQ4/ (Fisheries Minister Nash’s comments on Norman’s “pie in the sky” stories, Shane Jones accusing Norman of fundraising strategy)

13. Re Greenpeace of New Zealand Inc [2014] NZSC 105, Supreme Court of New Zealand, 6 Aug 2014, via Lexology (Cooper Grace Ward summary), https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=47842614-a797-4f97-9293-377ad42672ba (Supreme Court ruling that political and charitable purposes not mutually exclusive, overturned blanket exclusion, details of Greenpeace case)

14. High Court Decision 2020 – Greenpeace of NZ Inc v Charities Registration Board, [2020] NZHC 1999 (Mallon J), via Matters of Trust blog, 10 Aug 2020, https://mattersoftrust.co.nz/2020/08/10/finally/ (High Court found Charities Board erred, Greenpeace’s advocacy is charitable, sets out law on advocacy [46], illegal purpose matter, conclusion para [176])

15. Greenpeace’s Russel Norman escapes conviction over oil survey protest, NZ Herald, 21 Sep 2018, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/greenpeaces-russel-norman-escapes-conviction-over-amazon-warrior-oil-survey-ship-protest/NVZV2DYXOI3NIRAKGRKA4QWVBI/ (Napier District Court discharges Norman and activist without conviction for obstructing the Amazon Warrior in April 2017)

16. Frequently Asked Questions – Greenpeace Aotearoa, Greenpeace.org, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/faqs/ (Greenpeace is independent & non-partisan, not affiliated with any party ; relies on individual donations, no government or corporate donations ; network of 25 independent offices in 55 countries)

17. Bryce Edwards: Victory for transparency in lobbying reforms, Radio NZ, 14 Mar 2023, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/485824/bryce-edwards-victory-for-transparency-in-lobbying-reforms (Govt orders review of lobbying regulation; notes public backlash over unregulated lobbying and endless scandals)

18. Integrity Institute – Lobbying corrupts decisions, The Integrity Institute (NZ), 2022, https://theintegrityinstitute.org.nz/lobbying-corrupts-decisions/ (Advocates for open and transparent lobbying, mentions behind-closed-doors deals, need for public to know what goes on)

19. Greenpeace submission on political donation law changes, Greenpeace Aotearoa, Feb 2022, via Greenpeace.org, https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-aotearoa-stateless/2022/02/2d7b371f-greenpeace-submission-political-donations-2022.pdf (Greenpeace argues for stricter donation rules to curb influence of big money; emphasizes transparency)

20. 2022 Annual Impact Report – Greenpeace Aotearoa (Russel Norman, June 2023), Greenpeace.org, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/publication/2022-annual-impact-report/ (Details of campaigns in 2022: Ocean Treaty lobbying – petition to FM, lobbied PM & ministers ; met officials; NZ became treaty champion; also rural water testing project)

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz