10 Photos That Inspired Millions to Take Action

By Sudhanshu Malhotra

It’s a tough call to select 10 images from the more than 18,000 that Greenpeace has produced in the last 12 months. But this selection gave me a chance to look back at the amazing work that’s happening across the world.

These are not the most beautiful images, but they represent the diversity of the movement. They are a testimony to the courage and willingness of people power to fight for a better future. They define the role of photography in activism. They have the power to transfer the energy and emotions to its audiences; to tell a story that is untold or an event that cannot be put in words.

We have images from Indigenous communities in the Amazon to coral reefs in Australia, from forest fires in Indonesia to inspiring protests by grandparents in Japan. This was also the year when world leaders finally agreed to take steps towards controlling climate change after thousands of people marched across cities around the world to break free from fossil fuels.

Sudhanshu Malhotra is the multimedia editor for Greenpeace East Asia.