Green party facts for kids

A map showing where Global Green parties are located around the world.

A green party is a special type of political party. It focuses on ideas like protecting the environment and making sure everyone is treated fairly (this is called social justice).

These parties often support economic ideas that help everyone in society. They also team up with other groups that have similar goals.

You can find green parties in almost 90 countries. Many of them are part of a big international group called Global Greens.

What Makes a Green Party "Green"?

When we talk about "green" parties, it can mean a few things. Sometimes, any group or politician who cares about the environment might be called "green."

But a true Green party is a formal group with a clear set of beliefs. These beliefs usually include not just caring for the environment, but also working for social justice and making decisions together.

The Global Greens Charter lists six main ideas that guide these parties:

• Understanding nature's wisdom
• Fairness for everyone
• People taking part in decisions
• Solving problems without violence
• Living in a way that protects the future
• Respecting all kinds of people and cultures

How Green Parties Started

In 1979, Daniel Brélaz from Switzerland became the first Green member of a country's parliament.

Political groups that focused on the environment began to appear in the early 1970s. This happened in different parts of the world at almost the same time.

The very first political parties to campaign mainly on environmental issues were:

• The United Tasmania Group in Australia (1972)
• The Values Party in New Zealand (1972)

The name 'Green' came from a movement in Australia. Building workers refused to build on important cultural or environmental sites. This was called the 'Green Bans'.

In Europe, the first green party was formed in Switzerland in 1972. The first national green party in Europe was PEOPLE, started in Britain in 1973. It later became the Green Party. The first party to use the name "Green" was in Germany in 1977.

The German Green Party became very well known. They were against nuclear power and supported peace. They were founded in 1980. From 1998 to 2005, they were part of Germany's government. In 2001, they helped make a plan to stop using nuclear power in Germany.

In Finland, the Finnish Green Party was the first European Green party to join a country's government in 1995. Other Green parties have also been part of national governments, like those in Belgium, France, and Ireland.

In the Netherlands, GroenLinks ("GreenLeft") was formed in 1990. It is now a strong group in the Dutch parliament. The Australian Greens supported a government from 2010 to 2013. They have also been part of several state governments.

Today, Green parties exist in most countries with democratic systems. You can find them from Canada to Peru, and from Norway to South Africa. Green politicians work at local, regional, and national levels in many places.

Most Green parties aim to win elections. They organize themselves based on voting areas. However, some, like the Green Party of Alaska, organize based on natural regions. This helps them practice a type of democracy that respects local ecosystems.

Who Supports Green Parties?

People who support Green parties often share similar traits around the world. They tend to be:

• Younger
• Highly educated
• More often female
• Working in fields like healthcare, teaching, or the arts

They also care a lot about the environment and social fairness. They usually have left-leaning political views.

Green parties often get more support in countries that are wealthy and have low unemployment. They also do well where there are clear environmental problems, like nuclear power plants. These factors help people focus on bigger goals like environmental protection.

How Green Parties Form Alliances

Green parties often team up with other groups. These partnerships can change depending on local issues or conditions.

Green parties are often formed by a mix of people. These include scientists who study nature, local environmental activists, and groups focused on peace or human rights.

A "Red-Green alliance" is when Green parties join with social democratic parties. These alliances are usually formed to win elections or to create a government together.

Some Greens, like those in Hawaii, might work with more conservative groups. They might also team up with indigenous peoples. These groups often want to protect traditional ways of life or save natural resources. Greens believe in forming diverse communities by encouraging many different social and economic backgrounds.

Alliances can show different ways of achieving Green goals. For example, Greens in Mexico worked with center-right parties to remove the ruling party. In the U.S., Ralph Nader, a Green presidential candidate, worked with a very conservative politician on specific issues like farm policy. This showed that people from different political backgrounds could agree on some topics.

In 2007, the Irish Green Party joined a government coalition for the first time. They held two important government positions until 2011. They lost all their seats in the next election but won more in 2016 and 2020, rejoining the government.

In the Czech Republic, the Green Party was part of the government from 2007 to 2009.

Green parties often join coalitions because they usually don't win a large share of votes on their own. Being part of a coalition helps them bring environmental issues to the government's attention. However, they might have limited power since they are not the main party in the alliance.

Green Parties Around the World

Africa

Some national Green parties started in Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. They often faced challenges in gaining influence.

Wangari Maathai was a very successful Green party member in Africa. She started the Green Belt Movement and the Mazingira Green Party of Kenya. She was elected to the Kenyan Parliament in 2002. She became an assistant minister for the environment and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Other African Green parties that have members in parliament include Les Verts Fraternels of Mauritius and Frank Habineza's Democratic Green Party of Rwanda. In Senegal, Green party leader Haïdar el Ali became the Minister for Ecology in 2012.

Asia and Oceania

Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu

Green parties have members in national or state parliaments in New Zealand, Australia, and Vanuatu. In New Zealand, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand currently has 15 seats in parliament. The Australian Greens have 11 seats in the Senate and 4 seats in the House of Representatives. They have also won more votes than any other third party in every federal election since 2004.

In Australia, the Greens also have members in state parliaments and local governments. In 2010, the Greens won their first seat in the lower house of the Australian Parliament.

In countries like Australia and New Zealand, where a voting system called "proportional representation" is used, Green parties have a better chance of winning seats. This helps them take part in making laws. In countries that use a "first past the post" system, it's harder for Green parties to win many seats.

In Vanuatu, the Green Confederation won 3 out of 52 seats in 2012. Its most famous member, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, became prime minister in 2013. He led a broad coalition government.

There is a Papua New Guinea Greens Party, but it does not have any members in Parliament. A Green Party existed in Fiji from 2008 to 2013.

Lebanon

The Green Party of Lebanon was founded in 2008. It is a party that is not based on religion. In 2011, it became the first political party in Lebanon to elect a female leader, Nada Zaarour.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

The Green Party of Pakistan started in 2002, and the Green Party of Saudi Arabia appeared in 2010. However, in some of these countries, Green parties have to operate secretly due to political restrictions.

Taiwan

The Green Party Taiwan was founded in 1996. It is a small party that often works with the Democratic Progressive Party, a major political party in Taiwan.

Europe

Belgian and German Roots

The first Green parties in Europe began in the late 1970s. This was when people became more aware of environmental issues. Green parties in Belgium were among the first to have members elected to parliament in the 1970s.

In Germany, different groups came together to form a coalition for the 1979 European Parliament elections. Even though they didn't win seats then, they officially became a party. They had a big success in the German national elections of 1983. They gained a lot of media attention, partly because of their leader, Petra Kelly. Her party, now called Alliance '90/The Greens, is one of Europe's most important Green parties.

A New Political Force (1984–1989)

In 1984, Green parties agreed on common goals for the European Parliament Elections. The first Green members of the European Parliament were elected. Germany elected seven members, and Belgium and the Netherlands each elected two. These members formed a group called the Rainbow Group. They worked against pollution and nuclear energy, especially after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. They also promoted animal protection.

Since the 1990s

Indulis Emsis of the Latvian Green Party became Prime Minister of Latvia in 2004. He was the world's first Green head of government.

After working together for years, national Green parties formed a big European alliance. This alliance is called the European Green Party. They have 46 seats in the European Parliament (as of June 2009). They often work with the European Free Alliance, which represents groups from "stateless nations" like the Welsh and Scottish. Together, they are the fourth largest group in the European Parliament.

Most European Green parties share similar goals. However, they sometimes disagree on the European Union. Some, like the German Greens, support the EU. Others, like the Swedish Green Party, are more cautious about it.

Some Green parties have been part of ruling governments. The Finnish Green League was the first, joining the government in 1995. The Italian, French, German, and Belgian Green parties were also part of governments in the late 1990s. The Latvian Green Party had the most success, providing the Prime Minister of Latvia in 2004.

Raimonds Vējonis, President of Latvia.

Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria.

In 2004, Latvia became the first country in the world to have a Green politician become Head of Government. In Estonia, the Estonian Greens won six seats in parliament in 2007. Other strong results for European Green parties include Germany's Alliance '90/The Greens in 2002 and France's Europe Ecology – The Greens in 2012.

In some countries, it has been hard for Greens to win seats in national parliaments. This can happen in countries with a "first past the post" voting system, like the United Kingdom. However, the Green Party of England and Wales won its first seat in the UK Parliament in 2010 with Caroline Lucas. In July 2024, four Green MPs were elected in the UK. The Scottish Greens and Green Party Northern Ireland have also had success in their regional parliaments.

The European Green Party helps weaker Green parties in Europe. They have helped parties in Mediterranean countries make gains. Now, they are focusing on Eastern European countries. In Hungary, the local Green party, Politics Can Be Different, has been elected to parliament and many city councils.

In Croatia, the We can! party became the largest political party in Zagreb in 2021. Their candidate, Tomislav Tomašević, won the mayoral election.

Germany

The German Green party, Alliance 90/The Greens, is very influential in Europe. It was formed in 1993 when the West German and East German Green parties joined after Germany was reunified.

In 1998, Alliance 90/The Greens joined a government with the Social Democratic Party of Germany. This "Red-Green alliance" lasted until 2005. The Greens had three main goals: reduce unemployment, stop relying on nuclear power, and change citizenship laws. They achieved an agreement to end nuclear power.

Turkey

Greens and the Left Party of the Future is a left-leaning and green party in Turkey. It was founded in 2012. Important members include writers and artists.

The party is part of a political group that helped create the Peoples' Democratic Party in 2012. However, some Greens left the party in 2016 and reestablished the Green Party in 2020.

North America

In Canada, as of 2011, the Green Party of Canada had only one member elected to the national parliament, its leader Elizabeth May. By 2015, they had two seats. In the 2019 election, they won a record three seats. In the United States, the Green Party of the United States does not have federal representation in Congress. Because of this, Green parties in these countries often focus on changing voting rules to make it easier for smaller parties to win.

In Mexico, the Partido Verde Ecologista has members in Congress. However, the European Green Party stopped recognizing them as a true Green party because of some of their political stances, like supporting the death penalty.

Canada

The first Green parties in Canada started in 1983. The strongest provincial Green parties are in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. In 2019, the Green Party of Prince Edward Island became the official opposition party.

In 2013, the first Green member was elected to the British Columbia legislature. In 2017, they helped form a minority government. In 2018, Mike Schreiner became the first Green member elected to the Ontario provincial legislature.

Federally, the Green Party of Canada received 6.49% of the votes and three seats in the 2019 election. This was a big step forward. Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader from 2006 to 2019, was the first elected Green Member of Parliament. She has influenced many laws, from military actions to environmental protection.

In Vancouver, Adriane Carr won the Greens' first seat on the City Council in 2011.

United States

In the United States, Greens first ran for public office in 1985. Since then, the Green Party of the United States has won elections at local, county, and state levels. The first U.S. Greens elected were David Conley and Frank Koehn in Wisconsin in 1986.

As of April 2018, 156 Greens held elected positions across 19 states. California, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania have the most Green elected officials. They hold various roles, such as city council members, school board members, and mayors. The first U.S. Green elected to a state legislature was Audie Bock in California in 1999.

The Green Party has run candidates in seven presidential elections. Ralph Nader ran in 1996 and 2000, receiving the most votes for a Green Party candidate in 2000. Jill Stein ran in 2012 and 2016. In 2020, Howie Hawkins, a founder of the Green Party, was the presidential candidate.

South America

Brazil

The Brazilian Green Party was formed after a period of military rule. Like other Green parties, it aims to create fair social policies and sustainable development. Key goals include environmentalism, human rights, and peace.

In the 2010 Brazilian presidential election, Green Party candidate Marina Silva won 19.33% of the vote. This was more than any other third party candidate. She gained enough votes to prevent the leading candidate from winning in the first round. The party also won 15 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

Marina Silva left the party the following year. In the 2014 presidential election, the Green Party's candidate received 0.61% of the vote. In 2016, the Greens in Congress voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office.

For the 2018 presidential election, the party supported Marina Silva again. She received 1% of the vote. The party elected 4 federal deputies.

Colombia

In the 1990s, the Oxygen Green Party was created in Colombia. It was led by Ingrid Betancourt but later dissolved. Later, the Visionaries Party was created by Antanas Mockus, who became the mayor of Bogotá twice.

In 2010, a new green party called the Colombian Green Party was formed. Former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus became its leader.

Green Parties in Government

While many Green parties are small, some have joined national governments. The table below lists Green parties that have been part of national governments. It does not include green conservative parties or parties that were very minor partners in larger alliances.

Country	Party		Years in government	Coalition partner/s
Finland		Green League	1995–2002	Social Democratic Party of Finland National Coalition Party Swedish People's Party of Finland Left Alliance
			2007–2011	Centre Party National Coalition Party Swedish People's Party of Finland
			2011–2014	National Coalition Party Social Democratic Party of Finland Left Alliance Swedish People's Party of Finland Christian Democrats
			2019–2023	Social Democratic Party of Finland Centre Party Left Alliance Swedish People's Party of Finland
France		The Greens	1997–2002	Socialist Party French Communist Party Radical Party of the Left Citizen and Republican Movement
		Europe Ecology – The Greens	2012–2014	Socialist Party Radical Party of the Left Walwari
		Ecologist Party	2016–2017	Socialist Party Radical Party of the Left
Germany		Alliance 90/The Greens	1998–2005	Social Democratic Party of Germany
			2021–present	Social Democratic Party of Germany Free Democratic Party
Belgium		Ecolo	1999–2003	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats Liberal Reformist Party Socialist Party Flemish Socialist Party
		Agalev
		Ecolo	2020–present	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats Reformist Movement Vooruit Socialist Party Christian Democratic and Flemish
		Groen
Ireland		Green Party	2007–2011	Fianna Fáil Progressive Democrats
			2020–present	Fianna Fáil Fine Gael
Czech Republic		Green Party	2007–2009	Civic Democratic Party KDU-ČSL
Iceland		Left-Green Movement	2009–2013	Social Democratic Alliance
			2017–present	Independence Party Progressive Party
Luxembourg		The Greens	2013–2023	Democratic Party Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party
Sweden		Green Party (Sweden)	2014–2021	Swedish Social Democratic Party
New Zealand		Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand	2017–2020	New Zealand Labour Party New Zealand First
			2020–2023	New Zealand Labour Party
Austria		The Greens – The Green Alternative	2020–present	Austrian People's Party
Montenegro		United Reform Action	2020–2022	Ne damo Crnu Goru
			2022–2023	Socialist People's Party of Montenegro Social Democratic Party of Montenegro Bosniak Party

More to Explore

• Green and chartreuse – colors often linked to the Green movement
• List of green political parties
• Outline of green politics