Contributor

Philip Radford

Executive Director, Greenpeace

Phil Radford, Executive Director, Greenpeace US

Phil is a globally recognized American environmental, clean energy, and democracy leader currently serving as the Executive Director of Greenpeace USA. He was a co-founder of the Democracy Initiative, served as the Founder and Executive Director of Power Shift, and is a board member of Green Corps. He has a background in grassroots organizing, campaign planning, and energy policy.

Radford’s theory of change shifted from viewing governments as arbitrators between public and private interests on environmental issues, to finding that most governments are captured by industry. Rather than fighting first for new laws, which could be blocked by industries, he has focused on pressuring large companies to change their practices and enlisted them as allies in pushing for strong environmental protections. Examples include Greenpeace campaigns to transform electric utilities and to protect both the Indonesian rainforest and the Bering Sea Canyons. Radford argues that the combination of creating industry champions and “outside pressure” focused on the government are the keys to passing new laws to protect the environment.[4] In addition, Radford has played a leading role in efforts to give citizens an upper hand over companies in influencing government.

Radford is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, NBC, and ABC News.