FOES first office: The very first Friends of the Earth Scotland office.Since 1978 Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) has gone from no paid staff to a team of thirteen, moved from a basement room to a city centre eco-office and grown from less than 100 members to 5000.

Our timeline

1969    David Brower founds Friends of the Earth in San Francisco as a radical splinter of the Sierra Club

1970    FoE UK is born and local groups spring up across the country

Mahogany is murder: Cunning use of kids.1972    First Scottish FoE local group formed in Edinburgh       

1977    First joint meeting of all Scottish local groups

1978    Board of FoE Ltd gives formal approval to an independent organisation in Scotland and an inaugural meeting is held on 16 December. Scottish public fails to back devolution in numbers – FoES will have to wait 21 years before it has the chance to work with the Scottish Parliament

1979    First full time Co-ordinator is appointed. First national campaign launched – to protect the otter

1980    FoES becomes legally independent from FoE Ltd. Fuel campaign: Fair play on climate change.

1981    Campaigns launched to protect endangered species and against nuclear power

1982    FoES takes lead on FoE International campaign on acid rain

1984    Scottish Freedom of Information Act campaign launched with our support

1987    Xanthe Jay becomes first full time campaigner. Campaign won to stop the planting of 759 acres of non-native conifers in Perthshire

1989    CFC free campaign launched by dumping old fridge on steps of Scottish Office   

Nuclear dustbin campaign: Nuclear campaign.1991    Kevin Dunion appointed as first FoES Director

1992    Scotland’s largest tropical hardwood importer suspends dealing with its major supplier following FoE exposure of malpractice in Brazil

1994    Campaign launched to stop super-quarry at Lingerbay in South Harris

1995    Campaign launched to stop Scotland from being world’s nuclear dustbin

1998    Residents in village of Greengairs discover toxic PCBs being dumped in a local tip. With our assistance, campaign launched that will result in improvements in every Scottish tip

GM free campaign: GM crops campaign in front of the (then) Scottish Parliament.1999    GM Free Scotland and Environmental Justice campaigns launched
   
2000    Our support helps campaigners in Kirknewton shut landfill that has been operating without planning permission

2002    First Minister Jack McConnell uses the term Environmental Justice in his key note speech

2003    Duncan McLaren takes over as Chief Executive. Green Office website launched

2005    FoES launches appeal for £30,000 to take Scottish Ministers to court over their decision to over-rule the independent enquiry that recommended that the M74 extension should not be built

2007    UK Government publishes draft Climate Bill after Big Ask campaign led by Friends of the Earth. FoES launches Communities Reducing Excess Waste (CREW) project

2009    FoES celebrates success of Big Ask Scotland campaign as Scottish Climate Change Act receives Royal Assent

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