Meet the Team Behind: Rainforest Action Network

Rainforest Action Network harnesses the power of civil action to take on the industries driving deforestation and climate change—fighting for people and the planet, and turning environmental justice into reality. Learn more about their work here! 

What does your strategy entail?

First, we identify targets and build strategic campaigns. By assessing urgent social and environmental threats, we can understand the corporate and financial culprits driving the worst impacts. Next, we build honest, authentic partnerships that support Indigenous and frontline communities. Our goal is to build local-led solutions with a global lens. We then ensure that racial justice and human rights are at the center of the work, knowing that environmental justice is inextricably tied to those values. Ultimately, we bring the facts and the pressure to win systemic change. 

How do you make change when it comes to such a large, daunting issue?

We leverage our globally-recognized research and reports, peaceful protests, and high-level corporate negotiations to force policy and practice solutions for real change on the ground. Change that happens by shifting not just companies, but entire industrial sectors to transform the global marketplace. Our research and analysis exposes the devastation of corporate profiteering, and that information is power. We also start building change with the communities that need our help the most— our Community Action Grants provide direct and rapid funding for people fighting in their own communities around the world. 

What are your main issue areas?

We focus on forests, climate, and human rights—because the future of rainforests is tied to our own. These vital ecosystems sustain biodiversity, provide clean air and water, and support millions of people, yet corporations are destroying them at alarming rates. Tens of millions of people around the world are already facing impacts from drought, storms, and rising sea levels. Climate change is a human rights crisis, disproportionately impacting Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Protecting forests, cutting emissions, and ensuring equity are essential to safeguarding both people and the planet. 

Can you tell me about some of your campaigns?

We have a variety of petitions on our website that you can sign to hold corporations accountable for their actions and call for change. Our “Protect Indigenous Communities” campaign calls out the brand Procter & Gamble for their land-grabbing tactics to source palm oil for their products. The “Defend Forest Defenders” campaign puts pressure on brands and banks to stop deforestation and respect Indigenous rights. We have a petition to protect the Leuser Ecosystem, which is the only place on Earth where you can find elephants, tigers, rhinos, and orangutans in the same forest. These campaigns work to expose corporate misdoings and provide support to grassroots movements, helping us combat climate change and fight for human rights.