In October 1987, five years before the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Mikhail Gorbachev addressed a gathering in the Arctic city of Murmansk, and for the first time linked the concepts of environmental protection, nuclear disarmament, broader security concerns and development. On 19 January 1990, in Moscow during an address to the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Survival, Mikhail Gorbachev suggested creating an “international Green Cross that offers its assistance to States in ecological trouble.” In other words, the world needed a body that would apply the medical emergency response model of the International Committee of the Red Cross to ecological issues, and expedite solutions to environmental problems that transcend national borders. On 6 June 1992, six months after leaving office, the Rio Earth Summit civil society delegates appealed to Mikhail Gorbachev to create and launch Green Cross International. At the same time, Swiss National Council parliamentarian Roland Wiederkehr, founded a “World Green Cross” with the same objective. The organizations merged in 1993 to form Green Cross International. Green Cross International was formally launched in Kyoto, Japan, on 18 April 1993. On the invitation of Mikhail Gorbachev, many renowned figures joined and continue to serve on its Board of Directors and Honorary Board. The first Green Cross National Organizations formally joined GCI in The Hague, The Netherlands, in the Spring of 1994. These included Japan, The Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, and the United States. In 2007, Starbucks and Global Green USA have teamed up to launch Planet Green Game, an online game where "players can explore a virtual world and learn how everyday decisions by individuals, cities, schools and businesses can impact the climate and environment." Today, Green Cross International is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland with member countries in Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Czech republic, Denmark, France et Territoires, Ghana, Hungary, Taiwan, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, Panama, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States.
Board of Directors
Diane Meyer Simon, Founder of Global Green USA Trammel S. Crow, Co-Chair of Global Green USA & Founder of EarthX Michael Cain, Vice Chair of Global Green USA & CEO of EarthX Film Rajiv Shukla, Vice Chair of Global Green USA & Independent Director of Ocunexus Therapeutics Inc. Vered Nisim, Secretary of Global Green USA & Founder of Curagenics & President of Brellascope Les McCabe, Treasurer of Board & CEO of Junior Achievement Christiana Musk, Founder of Flourish*ink & Curator for Near Future Summit Robbianne Mackin, Senior Vice President of Principal Gifts for The New York Academy of Sciences Ovie Mughelli, Former Atlanta Falcons football player & Founder of The Ovie Mughelli Foundation Sarah Meyer Simon, Co-Owner of Base Coat & Partner of The Butcher’s Daughter & Founder of The Simon Collective Rick Fedrizzi, Founding Chair of USGBC & CEO of the International WELL Building Institute Carlton A. Brown, Founding partner & COO of Full Spectrum NY Asher Simon, Artist & Musician Don Burris, Founder & Senior Partner of Burris & Schoenberg, LLP Tony Keane, CEO of EarthX Kai Milla-Morris, Fashion Designer & Former wife of Stevie Wonder
Robert S. Bucklin Jerry Moss Lee H. Hamilton Edward Norton John Paul DeJoria Leonardo DiCaprio Dr. Jane Goodall Jayni Chase Norman Lear Pat Mitchell Scott Seydel Yoko Ono Chief Oren Lyons Robert Redford
