The Earth Day Network was founded in 1993 with a goal of creating an international network dedicated to supporting grassroots Earth Day organizing. Earth Day New York and San Diego Earth Day kept the fledgling entity going for a number of years but ultimately invited Denis Hayes to become chairman of the organization in time for Earth Day 2000. Under Denis’ leadership the Network organized the world-wide events for the 30th Anniversary and has grown into an established Washington, DC-based organization that promotes environmental activism and year-round progressive action, domestically and internationally. Earth Day Network members include NGOs, quasi-governmental agencies, local governments, activists, and others. Earth Day Network members focus on environmental education; local, national, and global policies; public environmental campaigns; and organizing national and local earth day events to promote activism and environmental protection. The international network reaches more than 25,000 organizations in 192 countries, while the domestic program engages 10,000 groups and more than 100,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environmental-protection activities throughout the year.
In observance of the 40th anniversary of the April 22 Earth Day, Earth Day Network created multiple global initiatives, ranging from a Global Day of Conversation with mayors worldwide, focusing on bringing green investment and building a green economy; Athletes for the Earth Campaign that brings Olympic, professional, and every day athletes' voices to help promote a solution to climate change; a Billion Acts of Green Campaign which will aggregate the millions of environmental service commitments that individuals and organizations around the world make each year; to Artist for the Earth, a campaign the involves hundreds of arts institutions and artists worldwide to create environmental awareness. EDN mobilized 1.5 billion people in 190 countries to participate in these global events and programs, and helped create Earth Day organizations worldwide.
