Environmental Defense Fund

Building a better future together

For more than 50 years we’ve been pioneers, using science and different perspectives to make the environment safer and healthier for us all.

Who we are

We began in 1967, as a scrappy group of scientists and a lawyer on Long Island, New York, fighting to save osprey from the toxic pesticide DDT. Using scientific evidence, our founders got DDT banned nationwide.

Today, we’re one of the world's leading environmental organizations. In the U.S., Fortune magazine called our board one of the country's most influential nonprofit boards.

And science still guides everything we do.

Since 1967, we've found innovative ways to solve the toughest environmental problems.

The pesticide DDT was used widely in the 1960s. It caused eggshells to thin and break, threatening the survival of magnificent birds like the osprey, bald eagle and peregrine falcon.

DDT is a persistent poison that works its way up the food chain, endangering people, too.

On Long Island, a researcher at a small conservation group was documenting the decline of the osprey. He found that unhatched osprey eggs contained significant concentrations of DDT. The group asked the county to stop using DDT. The mosquito control commission replied that DDT killed mosquitoes cheaply and easily, so they would continue using it.

So the group tried a novel approach, common today but unheard of in the late 1960s: The scientists teamed up with a lawyer and went to court on behalf of the environment.

After many months of preparation, the case was strong. Not only was DDT poisoning birds and crustaceans, but it was also of declining value in mosquito control, as the insects became resistant to it.

In 1966, the court imposed a ban on DDT. Four years later, the governor enacted a statewide ban, based largely on the testimony from that Long Island case. And in 1972, the lawyers and scientists played a major role in securing a nationwide ban.

The osprey has since made a dramatic recovery, and the bald eagle and peregrine falcon have been removed from the endangered species list.

Turning point

That first court victory presented the local group with a choice. Because this was the first case of its kind, it roused national interest, "out of all proportion to the actual results achieved." Appeals for help came pouring in from across the country, many more than a small group of volunteers could address.

They decided to organize more formally and attempt to raise funds to expand their work. In 1967, they incorporated as Environmental Defense Fund.

Decades of growing results and new approaches

Not long after, we began hiring economists, which led to our international prominence in designing market-based solutions. In the 1990s, we pioneered corporate partnerships and some of the first interactive uses of online communications.

In the process, EDF has grown into a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 3 million members and activists – and in 2017, we celebrated 50 years of progress.

We are grateful to have such a strong foundation from which to continue to tackle environmental problems with smart, lasting solutions.

Environmental Defense Fund's mission is to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends.

Guided by science and economics, we find practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems.

What distinguishes Environmental Defense Fund is the combination of what we protect and how we protect it.

We work to solve the most critical environmental problems facing the planet. This has drawn us to areas that span the biosphere: climate, oceans, ecosystems and health. Since these topics are intertwined, our solutions take a multidisciplinary approach. We work in concert with other organizations — as well as with business, government and communities — and avoid duplicating work already being done effectively by others.

Our core values

These values allow us to experiment courageously in our work, while staying true to who we've been as an organization for 50 years.

Results — Create environmental solutions that make a lasting difference in the world
Respect — Welcome diverse perspectives, talents and contributions
Innovation — Design and use a wide range of problem-solving tools
Optimism — Embrace ambitious environmental goals while taking into account real-world dynamics
Integrity — Uphold a commitment to science, rigorous analysis, intellectual honesty and ethical action

What makes our solutions last?
When we bring the right problem-solvers together, we see the challenges more clearly. With that know-how and insight, we take action in ways that endure.

Impact by the numbers

4M — Acres that have protected 63 rare species, thanks to EDF’s efforts to give landowners incentives to help wildlife

$1.6B — The amount in energy savings EDF Climate Corps fellows have uncovered for top companies since 2008

28 — Countries around the world where EDF works with partners and allies to solve the most critical environmental problems

What we do
Thanks to our supporters and partners, EDF follows the evidence to zero in on the areas where our expertise can make the biggest difference:

Climate — We're working to stabilize the climate, creating new ways to cut emissions.
Energy — We're transforming the world's energy system, making it cleaner.
Ecosystems — We craft sustainable ways to grow food and supply water, protecting nature.
Oceans — We work globally to create oceans and coastal communities that thrive.
Health — A healthier environment means healthier people. We focus on both.

How we do it
To forge the most effective solutions, EDF approaches the biggest environmental challenges from these angles:

Science — Rigorous science is our bedrock. It drives everything we do.
Economics — We examine every environmental problem through an economic lens.
Partnerships — With our partners, we achieve what no environmental group can do alone.
Advocacy — With our allies, we shape strong, bipartisan policy and fight for great environmental laws.

EDF believes that meaningful and durable solutions arise from communities whose lives and livelihoods are at stake.

We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion as central to our mission, excellence and success.

We strive to better understand, cultivate and support a diversity of perspectives in our work. We want to make EDF a place where a diversity of talented people bring their full selves to the creation of solutions.

At Environmental Defense Fund, we are working to ensure:

- Our staff and leadership reflect the diversity of the geographies in which we work.
- We have an inclusive culture that allows all staff members to thrive.
- The pursuit of equity is integral to the operations, management and culture within our organization.
- Equity and environmental justice considerations inform our programmatic work and the policy actions we advocate.

EDF staff groups
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

Working closely with the associate vice president of diversity, equity and Inclusion, the DEI Council is responsible for cultivating, advising and advancing initiatives that develop and maintain diversity and the practice of inclusion within our operation, management and organizational culture.

Innovative Diversity Efforts Alliance groups
Innovative Diversity Efforts Alliance, or IDEA, consists of six employee resources groups that each seek to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace. IDEA’s mission is to provide a safe space for members, enhance professional development and lend a diverse perspective to EDF’s strategic plan and initiatives. The groups include Black & Green, EDF Pride, Latinos @ EDF, Women & Leadership, AsPIRE (Asian and Pacific Islanders) and Ally(v).

Equity and Environmental Justice Council
Based on principles of environmental justice and equity, EDF’s Environmental Justice Council acts as a resource for EDF leaders by providing input and advice on the overall equity and justice direction and potential strategies to achieve those goals. Working closely with the associate vice president of equity and environmental justice Initiatives, the council drives the organizational change needed to ensure:

- Equity and justice outcomes are integrated into our mission and programmatic work in substantive and - meaningful ways.
- EDF becomes an authentic partner for frontline communities, those with “first and worst” environmental burdens.
- We are a force for environmental justice within the environmental community.