BUND was founded in 1975. Now, as then, there are many reasons to get involved in nature conservation and environmental protection, which is why BUND members have been working voluntarily since our founding in local and district groups in the service of nature. They plant hedges, create ponds, take care of protected areas and fight for the preservation of valuable areas. In this way, the landscape around us becomes visibly more varied, diversified and colourful.

Above all, BUND’s focus is on how we want to live in the future. What constitutes a sustainable political approach which is environmentally-friendly and ensures the right to an equitable existence for both our children and the people in the southern hemisphere? BUND is effectively involved in working on the enormous challenges of environmental policy. Our commitment to foster the use of renewable energies, to ban the production of genetically modified food and fodder, and to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in everyday life is always based on concrete alternative options and solutions.

Tackling the ecological questions of the future requires the development of integrative policies. For example:

• Transport policy has to be linked to regional planning policy since, e.g., the construction of shopping centres in non-urban territories leads to a higher volume of traffic in these areas.
• Landscape policy also has to be nature conservation policy, considering the well-being of people, soils, and animals.
  
• Chemicals policy needs to ensure that our health and the environment take priority over the industry’s concern for profits.
  

Trade associations and big corporations invest millions in lobbying to push through their agendas in Brussels and Berlin thus blocking, for example, the improvement of health protection and the switch to renewable energies. BUND responds at national and international levels, in close cooperation with its partners in the Friends of the Earth network. In Brussels, we organise demonstrations in front of the EU parliament or we initiate public debates on environmental issues and hold informal talks with delegates at international climate change conferences. In Germany, we run a "Phase-out nuclear energy yourself" campaign.

We know from experience that you have to be persistent in order to turn an idea into an environmental policy reality. Persistence is a characteristic feature of BUND.

There is a lot that needs to be done for nature conservation and environmental protection. To be effective in helping to maintain our natural livelihood, BUND has to focus on specific key topics. Currently these main focus areas are climate protection and the preservation of biodiversity.