Brussels, Belgium – Six Greenpeace Belgium activists unrolled a massive banner in Brussels’s historic Grand Place square, ahead of a celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary in the EU capital. The 600-square-metre banner read “War. Greed. Energy Crisis. What’s there to celebrate?” condemning using the occasion to promote Trump’s political and corporate agenda.

John Noel, Campaigner, Greenpeace International said: “Read the room: this lavish celebration is utterly misplaced. Trump is waging war, threatening allies and adversaries alike, and driving economic disruption across the globe – what’s to celebrate? While EU leaders seem to have made excuses to dodge this party, it’s also time that they stood up to Trump’s bullying too and make sure the EU protects people and planet instead of billionaires’ profits.”

The celebration in Brussels takes place against a backdrop of intensifying global instability driven by the White House. Greenpeace Belgium warns that Trump’s erratic foreign policy and ‘energy dominance’ agenda are fueling conflict, worsening the global energy crisis, and weakening international cooperation. By pairing aggressive trade maneuvers with the dismantling of democratic institutions and environmental protections, Trump’s administration is leaving a trail of economic and ecological disruption worldwide.[1]

Joeri Thijs, Campaigner, Greenpeace Belgium added from the protest: “It is shameful that Belgian authorities are rolling out the red carpet for this administration in the heart of Europe, while US policies are wreaking havoc worldwide.While Belgium and the EU are finally weaning themselves off fossil gas from Putin’s Russia, we are rapidly increasing our dangerous dependence on fracked gas imported from the US. At the same time, Trump is actively pushing to weaken EU environmental safeguards. Continuing to coddle this administration severely jeopardises both the EU’s climate ambitions and its independence from bullies.”

US officials are hosting a celebration in the nearby Parc du Cinquantenaire in the EU quarter later the same day, with thousands of political, diplomatic and corporate representatives on the guest list. The Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte are reportedly attending, though high-profile invitees from the EU institutions such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declined to say they would attend.[2]

ENDS

Photos and video available free to use in the Greenpeace Media Library.

Notes:

[1] US demands EU dismantle green regulations in threat to trade deal (Financial Times)

[2] Who dares snub Trump’s party | Euractiv (Euractiv)

Contacts:

Greenpeace Belgium press desk : +32 (0)496 26 31 91,  bpress@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

From a massive heat wave in Europe to calls for action on the climate crisis in Mexico. Here are some of our favourite images from Greenpeace work around the world this week.

Mexico – During the World Cup, Greenpeace Mexico activists staged a peaceful protest at Terminal 2 of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to remind people that the climate crisis is already changing the conditions in which we live, work, and play. With the messages “The game has extra time, but the planet doesn’t” and “If the climate changes, the game changes,” the organization drew attention to the increasingly evident impacts of climate change and the need to act urgently to prevent its effects from continuing to worsen.

Protecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems such as the Maya Forest, as well as a sustainable and just energy transition—one that no longer relies on oil and says no to fracking—are the kinds of decisive changes we need in the current government’s climate policy to truly help combat and curb the impacts of climate change. With the giant balloon—placed in the central rotunda of the airport terminal—as a backdrop, and under the gaze of dozens of domestic and international travelers, Greenpeace Mexico activists positioned themselves beneath the balloon, mimicking flames that represent the extreme heat threatening both the game and the planet.

UK – Signs of London underground stations are rebranded as Baking Street, London’s Burning and Hottenham Court Road during the heatwave in June  raising awareness about the climate crisis. Greenpeace activists also attached stickers saying ‘Heatwave – Brought to you by Shell’ to remind passengers that the record heat is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the companies that promote them.

Poland – On the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Greenpeace appeals to the Polish government and European leaders to learn from the war in Ukraine. A crisis-resistant system based on renewable, distributed energy sources must become the foundation of energy security.

The future of energy in Ukraine and Europe will be one of the most important topics of the Gdańsk conference, which is why Greenpeace has decided to present recommendations on how to build lasting energy security at this symbolic place for peace in Europe, where the World War II started, at the Westerplatte monument.

France – Nine Greenpeace France activists are on trial before the Paris Court of Appeal.

On March 5, 2021, they entered the tarmac at Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport and partially repainted an airplane green. Their aim was to denounce greenwashing and the government’s lack of ambition regarding the regulation of the aviation sector to address climate challenges.

A rally, followed by speeches, took place in front of the Paris Court of Appeal before the trial.

Italy – Greenpeace staff monitors the surface temperature at the historical center of Rome, using a thermal camera due to heat wave that hit the country as the summer started.

Greenpeace has been a pioneer of photo activism for more than 50 years, and remains committed to bearing witness and exposing environmental injustice through the images we capture.

To see more Greenpeace photos and videos, visit our Media Library.

ZAGREB, Croatia, 12 June 2026 – After months of intense public protests, local communities and environmental groups in Croatia are celebrating a major victory after European poultry giant MHP withdrew from a chicken megaproject in northeast Croatia. The proposed megaproject would have quadrupled the country’s chicken production. The withdrawal officially cancels 12 of the 24 planned sub-projects that had been divided between two companies, bypassing stricter environmental regulations.

The planned facility would have been among the largest poultry projects in Europe, designed to slaughter 100 million chickens annually. In a move that avoids stricter environmental impact assessments, the project was divided into 24 separate sub-projects of which MHP was responsible for half. MHP is one of Europe’s largest poultry producers and slaughters over 500 million chickens each year. Local authorities recently confirmed the cancellation of MHP’s sub-projects to Friends of the Earth (FoE) Croatia, Animal Friends Croatia, and local citizen groups who have led the campaign. Greenpeace International campaigners have supported the grassroots movement over the last three months, including speaking at rallies in the towns of Sisak and Donja Dubrava.

Jasna Šumanovac , Campaigner at Zelena Akcija (Friends of the Earth Croatia), said: “We welcome MHP’s decision and at the same time call on them to, in accordance with their promises that they will not build farms and slaughterhouses in areas where there is strong resistance from the local community, abandon the construction of farms in the towns of Apatija and Veliki Pažut. The Ministry must now formally suspend all initiated procedures, and we will continue the fight until the last project is stopped.”

Luka Oman, President at Prijatelji Životinja (Animal Friends Croatia), said: “Croatian citizens have clearly said no to mega poultry farms and slaughterhouses. The Government should stop ignoring citizens and expert warnings and finally reject all remaining mega-farm projects in Croatia. Where mega farms arrive, there is no life left – neither for animals nor for people.”

The retreat by MHP follows sustained grassroots mobilisation, including large-scale public demonstrations in the capital city of Zagreb and Sisak, the regional hub of the affected area. Locals were concerned that the industrial poultry operation would pollute local soil, air and waterways, amongst other detrimental environmental impacts.[1] In a recent interview, the Chief Executive Officer of MHP, dubbed the ‘Chicken King’, tacitly conceded that the company pulled out of the region due to the intense local resistance.[2]

Despite the victory, the remaining 12 sub-projects are still being pursued by another investor,  Premium Chicken Company (PCC). The developer has threatened local non-governmental organisations with lawsuits, echoing tactics used by other major corporations to silence community dissent.

Dániel Nyitray, Campaigner at Greenpeace International added: “This clucking mad mega-project posed a significant threat to public health and the environment, but communities in Croatia have come together to show that when we stand together, we can stop corporations and their billionaire bosses in their tracks. 

“Wherever in the world agribusiness giants like MHP threaten to destroy nature and pollute our air and water in the name of profit, communities like these are organising to defend their land and livelihoods. While work still needs to be done to ensure the remainder of this development is canned, this is a huge victory for people power that sends a message to corporations everywhere: not here, not anywhere.”

Croatia’s local campaigns have vowed to continue fighting until PCC’s portion of the project is also fully terminated. Activists are standing in solidarity with other communities across Croatia who are currently facing the threat of massive industrial meat production developments in their neighbourhoods. Greenpeace is calling on governments to set binding rules that halt new factory farms and hold Big Ag accountable for polluting local environments and exacerbating the global climate crisis.

ENDS

Notes:

[1] H-Alter, ‘Institucije upozoravale na ozbiljne nedostatke i rizike planiranih megafarmi’ (2025)

[2] Jutarnji List, Ukrajinac koji je htio graditi megafarmu pilića kraj Siska: ‘Odustajemo. Imamo dobar razlog, ali i planove za Hrvatsku‘ (2026)

Contacts:

Joe Evans, Global Comms Lead at Greenpeace UK, +44 7890 595387, joe.evans@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

“We are dying silently. Without knowing it, our mothers are feeding their babies with breast milk contaminated by mercury.”

Standing before representatives of the Dutch government, Alessandra Korap Munduruku described a reality that rarely reaches ministerial offices in Europe. While the price of gold rises and the world debates trade, investment and global supply chains, Indigenous communities in the Amazon live every day with the impacts of expanding soy production, cattle ranching and illegal gold mining: contaminated rivers, destroyed forests, violence and a public health crisis that threatens entire generations.

Alessandra’s testimony was one of dozens shared by Indigenous leaders from the Brazilian Amazon during The True Cost of Gold tour, organized by Greenpeace Brazil. Over ten days, Alessandra Korap Munduruku, from the Munduruku people; Megaron Txucarramãe and Beptuk Metuktire, from the Kayapó people; traveled across France, the Netherlands and Belgium, bringing firsthand accounts of the threats facing their territories and ways of life directly to governments, parliamentarians and international institutions. During the first leg of the tour in France, the delegation also included Juma Xipaia, from the Xipaya people, who helped amplify the voices and demands of Amazonian Indigenous Peoples in key political and public forums.

The delegation’s message was clear: while international markets continue to consume and profit from gold, soy and other commodities linked to forest destruction, Indigenous Peoples continue to bear the real costs of this exploitation. Decisions that affect the Amazon cannot continue to be made without listening to those who have protected these territories for millenia.

“Many companies enter the forest saying they are searching for wealth. But what kind of wealth is that?” asked Chief Megaron Txucarramãe during the tour. “For Indigenous Peoples, wealth means food, health and peace.”

The tour took place just days after the release of Greenpeace Brazil’s investigation, Gold Laundering in the Amazon: Anatomy of a Fraud, which revealed how regulatory loopholes allow gold extracted illegally from Indigenous Territories and protected areas to be laundered and sold as if it were legally sourced, eventually entering global supply chains and international markets.

But the message brought to Europe went far beyond the cost of gold.

Bringing Amazon Voices into Decision-Making Spaces

Throughout the tour, Indigenous leaders met with civil society organisations, journalists, supporters, policymakers and Indigenous representatives from other territories. Among the highlights were a series of high-level meetings with government officials and international institutions.

One of the most significant moments took place in the Netherlands during a meeting with Minister of Nature and Agriculture Jaimi van Essen.

During the discussion, Indigenous leaders highlighted the impacts of expanding infrastructure linked to agribusiness in the Amazon, particularly the Arco Norte project, a vast network of railways, ports and waterways designed to facilitate commodity exports such as soy. The delegation also drew attention to the role that Europe, and the Netherlands with its giant port of Rotterdam in particular, plays in global supply chains and the need to reduce the pressure that current production, consumption and trade patterns place on Indigenous territories.

The conversation also addressed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the importance of recognising and protecting Indigenous territories as a fundamental strategy for achieving the global biodiversity target to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. The meeting was marked by constructive dialogue and an acknowledgment by the Dutch government of the crucial role Indigenous rights play in nature protection.

The minister and his staff confirmed their commitment to protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights in the CBD process and said they will bring these concerns to the next negotiations in autumn, while also acknowledging the relevance of the Netherlands and the EU in the context of agribusiness.

In France, another key moment was a meeting with representatives from the office of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries. The discussion with diplomatic adviser Gabriel Normand and his team provided an opportunity to present directly to French policymakers the impacts of illegal mining and other destructive activities affecting Indigenous territories in the Amazon.

The French agenda also included a meeting with Barbara Pompili, France’s Ambassador for the Environment, and her team. In addition, the delegation met with members of the France-Brazil Friendship Group in the French National Assembly, expanding dialogue around international responsibility, supply chain accountability and the urgent need to strengthen protections for Indigenous Peoples and their territories.

A Global Struggle for a Shared Future

Throughout the tour, Indigenous leaders emphasised that decisions made in parliaments, ministries, financial institutions and consumer markets around the world have direct consequences for forests and the people who depend on them.

At the same time, they demonstrated that solutions to many of today’s environmental crises already exist. They can be found in Indigenous territories, in forest-based economies that keep ecosystems standing, and in communities that have cared for land, water and biodiversity for generations.

The message from the Indigenous leaders is clear: protecting Indigenous rights is not only a matter of justice. It is one of the most effective ways to protect tropical forests, tackle the climate crisis and secure a livable future for all.

Meet the Indigenous Leaders

Juma Xipaia

Juma is one of the most prominent Indigenous leaders in the Amazon and a powerful advocate for Indigenous rights, environmental protection and gender equality. She became the first woman Chief in the Middle Xingu at the age of 24, leading the Xipaya Tukamã village. In 2020, she founded Instituto Juma, dedicated to environmental conservation, Indigenous self-determination and women’s empowerment. Due to her opposition to illegal mining and criminal activities in the Amazon, she survived multiple assassination attempts and spent a period in exile in Switzerland. Her story is featured in the acclaimed documentary Yanuni (2025), executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Megaron Txucarramãe

Megaron is a renowned Indigenous leader, environmentalist and key figure in Brazil’s Indigenous rights movement. A member of the Kayapó (Mẽbêngôkre) people and the nephew and designated successor of Chief Raoni Metuktire, he has spent decades defending Indigenous territories, forests and constitutional rights. 

Beptuk Metuktire

Beptuk is an emerging Indigenous leader from the Kayapó (Mẽbêngôkre) people and a coordinator at Instituto Raoni. As the grandson of Chief Raoni Metuktire, he represents a new generation of Indigenous leadership, combining traditional knowledge with contemporary advocacy. 

Alessandra Korap Munduruku

Alessandra is an internationally recognized Indigenous activist whose advocacy has helped bring global attention to the impacts of illegal mining, logging and infrastructure projects in the Amazon. Her campaigning contributed to Anglo American’s withdrawal from mining projects overlapping the Sawré Muybu Indigenous Territory in 2021. In recognition of her leadership, she received the 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize. Today, she is a prominent voice in international debates on climate justice, biodiversity and the future of the Amazon.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are the best guardians of the Amazon and other forests around the world, and must be recognised as such. Greenpeace is calling on world leaders to stop the industrial destruction and recognise Indigenous Peoples’ territories and rights.

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Jaqueline Sordi is the Communications and Engagement Lead for the Tropical Forests campaign at Greenpeace International.