EarthAction is a global advocacy network and nonprofit organisation founded in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Formally registered as EarthAction International and operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it is headquartered in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. Since its launch, EarthAction has built one of the world’s largest collaborative civil society networks, bringing together over 2,600 partner organisations across 165 countries to coordinate campaigns on environment, peace, and human rights. Its core model converts widespread public concern into focused, coordinated action directed at policymakers and international institutions.

EarthAction’s mission is to inform and inspire people everywhere to turn their concern, passion, and outrage into meaningful action for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. Its work spans three principal issue areas: environmental protection and climate action, international peace and disarmament, and human rights. The organisation has played a role in landmark international developments including the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances, the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Optional Protocol raising the minimum age of military recruitment. It continues to engage with global climate accountability, Indigenous rights, and community resilience.

EarthAction is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Co-Founder and Executive Director Lois Barber, who has directed the organisation since its founding. The board includes academics, social entrepreneurs, and civil society leaders with expertise spanning sociology, psychology, and direct fundraising. The organisation functions primarily as a campaign coordinator and network facilitator rather than a large operational body, leveraging its global partner network to amplify reach. Funding comes from a diverse base of foundations, multilateral agencies (including UNICEF, UNEP, and IFAD), national development ministries, and individual donors.

EarthAction operates several active projects. 2020 Action is a US-based grassroots outreach programme that provides citizens with monthly postcards on critical peace and environmental issues, enabling direct personal outreach to policymakers. The Elders Project, founded in 2009, supports the traditional Mamo authorities of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in preserving ancestral knowledge and cultural continuity. The Indigenous Solidarity Fund, founded by Jesse Stamell and sponsored by EarthAction, channels global support to Indigenous leaders facing threats to their lands, health, and traditions. The Palestinian House of Friendship supports youth and community programmes in Nablus. Climate Scorecard, founded in 2015, monitors and advocates for climate action in the world’s top 20 greenhouse gas-emitting countries through monthly Country Spotlight Reports shared with environmental leaders worldwide.