Lýsing á stofnuninni/samtökunum

Legambiente is a non-profit leading environmental organisation in Italy that works for the safeguarding and enhancement of natural resources; environment; common health; animal and plant species; historical, artistic and cultural heritage; territories and landscapes. Since its foundation in 1980, Legambiente’s hallmark is the scientific environmentalism, which is the willingness to build every environmental protection project on a solid base made of scientific data.
Legambiente mission is to make environmental culture at the centre of a new kind of development and diffused well-being. Important values for the association are the improvement of environmental quality, the fight against all forms of pollution, a wise use of natural resources, the construction of a more balanced relationship between human beings and the nature. Spreading those values could be an effective way to respond to the challenges of our time: the modernization of the economy, the commitment to beat unemployment, the struggle for peace and against all forms of discrimination and social injustice, the effort to consider globalization not only as a mere trading of goods but also as a means to improve quality of life and to give rights to billions of men and women forced to live in poverty.
Formed by 20 regional committees and more than 2000 local groups, Legambiente runs national and international campaigns about different issues. Among the several campaigns, the association supports renewable energies and GMO-free agriculture and it is committed against the greenhouse effect, the eco-mafia and illegal building.
Legambiente has been organising volunteering campaigns since 1991, promoting summer-camps in many protected areas both in Italy and abroad, with the aim of raising public awareness on environmental issues such as habitat degradation, collecting information on natural resources, promoting green tourism, developing sustainable economy, helping people to be active for the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage. International workcamps are part of the association’ s main campaigns and volunteers’ activities contribute to achieve the goals of each campaign. In Italy Legambiente manages different centers for environmental education; the association is committed with thousands among school kids and teachers to diffuse environmental education in the school and in society.
Legambiente is acknowledged as “association of environmental interest” by the Ministry of the Environment; it represents the UNEP National Committee for Italy, it is one of the leading member of EEB (“European Environmental Bureau”) the Federation of European environmental organization, and of IUCN - the World Conservation Union. It also belongs to different voluntary service networks, such as the Alliance of European Voluntary Organizations.