To mark Earth Day this April, we’re sharing personal essays from individuals who are doing their part to protect our planet. Greenpeace Australia CEO David Ritter has been fighting for the planet since joining the organization in 2007. And in that time he’s seen a lot of change—not all of it good. He says shared action is what will build the bridge to the possibility of a flourishing future.
Shared action is the new hope.
We live on this unbelievably beautiful, intricate, lonely rock in space. And despite all the damage we’ve done to this wonderful planet, it’s still the only home we have, and it’s still beautiful beyond human imagination.
It’s easy to look around and see the destruction that change has wrought over the last 100 years. But it’s also a reminder of how quickly transformation can occur.
Just think how much life has altered in the last century. My great-grandparents never saw a plastic Coke bottle flowing down a river. Or a plastic bag on a beach. They’re only two generations back, but they lived in a world that was entirely different—and much that was precious has been lost. But there’s a flip side, which is that change for the better. Towards sustainability. Towards wise stewardship. Towards justice and equity. Towards a better world for everyone. That can also happen at great speed, with an urgency that probably seems unimaginable right now.
I’m old enough to remember when the Cold War and Apartheid South Africa seemed like permanent fixtures. Then all of a sudden, both were swept away in what felt like a historical instant. I think there is evidence now that we are seeing the beginnings of a very rapid acceleration away from fossil fuels, toward renewable energy.
As the CEO of Greenpeace Australia, I am privileged to change through shared action every day. It is one of the most wonderful aspects of my role: Witnessing the kindness, determination and creativity of human beings working for the good of humanity and the planet.
This year, Greenpeace Australia Pacific has three big projects—designed and delivered in collaboration with friends and allies—that can drive change at emergency speed and scale. First, we want to end the tyranny of the internal combustion engine in Australia. We’re one of only two OECD countries, the other being Russia, that has no national fuel efficiency standard. If the national government introduces a world-class fuel efficiency standard, and Australia’s big corporate fleets commit to going fully electric, then we will have rapid lift-off. We will hit an EV tipping point. This is crucial because right now, road transport is the third largest source of domestic emissions in Australia overall—and the fastest-growing sector.
We know what the challenges are—the pollution of coal, oil and gas and land clearing, above all —and have the solutions we need to change the world: Solar, wind, carbon sinks, EVs, regenerative agriculture, a circular economy and First Nations stewardship. It is a matter of applying the solutions that already exist, and doing so at emergency speed and scale.
Next, we want to stop [oil and gas company] Woodside from pushing ahead with one of the most climate-damaging projects this country has ever seen, the Burrup Hub in Western Australia. If this thing gets the go-ahead, Woodside will keep drilling gas from the deep ocean until 2070—a full 20 years after Australia is meant to reach net zero emissions. A fully developed Burrup Hub will produce more than 12 times Australia’s current annual domestic emissions. As leading climate modelers have said, the Burrup Hub is a bet against the Paris Climate Agreement. It also directly threatens to damage Australia’s incredible oceans, including migratory whale routes and marine sanctuaries.
And last, we are working with the nation of Vanuatu to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world, on climate change and human rights. A strong opinion from the ICJ can change the law everywhere, creating a powerful legal principle that will support stronger climate action in every nation on Earth. This campaign received a huge boost just a few weeks ago when the United Nations General Assembly referred the request for an opinion to the ICJ by consent—something that has never happened before.
Our mission is to ensure a vast diversity of life can flourish on Earth now and in the future. It is a mission we can and must achieve. And we can be confident that this shining goal remains possible because if there is one thing we know, it is that human beings working together can achieve practically anything.
We know what the challenges are—the pollution of coal, oil and gas and land clearing, above all —and have the solutions we need to change the world: Solar, wind, carbon sinks, EVs, regenerative agriculture, a circular economy and First Nations stewardship. It is a matter of applying the solutions that already exist, and doing so at emergency speed and scale.
Human beings are endlessly creative and ingenious. We have to back ourselves. Hope is shared action. What holds us back are the vested interests of the fossil fuel order. That is what must be overcome. Our obligation is not to succumb to BAU, because that is the road to ruin.
Given half a chance, life fights for life, and I’m seeing that fight right now. It’s the community that decides to take charge and regenerate their forests. It’s the government investing in renewables. It’s the CEOs transitioning their companies away from fossil fuels to clean energy at speed and scale. It’s the school strikers, raising their hands and rejecting the status quo. It is in all the dedicated people who make up Greenpeace—and the wider environment, climate and social justice movements. Hope is shared action.
That is the mission of our times; for all human beings who share that common same vision, to work together with all our might, to secure an earth capable of nurturing life in all of its magnificent diversity.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is ‘Invest in Our Planet.’ Find out more about how you can take action for Earth on the Earth Day website.
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David Ritter is the CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific and a widely published commentator on politics, law, history and current affairs. He is also an author and speaker, focussing on the climate crisis in Australia and taking action through hope. Prior to joining Greenpeace, he worked as an academic and a lawyer in both commercial and native title practices.
