Leeds Friends of the Earth are a group of volunteers taking positive action on environmental, ecological and community issues in the Leeds area.
We have been active in Leeds for over 30 years. We are campaign on issues at a national, regional, and local level. We lobby MPs and councillors, carry out stunts and hold stalls, talk at meetings, work with other groups, and try to have a bit of fun along the way.
In the past we have worked on issues like: waste and recycling, greenspace protection, warm homes, airport expansion, deforestation, wildlife protection, fracking and many more.
If you are interested in making a positive change to your local area please get in touch.
We meet in person every month, usually on the 2nd Monday, in Leeds city centre.
Email us – leedsfoe@hotmail.com
Follow us on Instagram – @friendsearth_leeds
Our current top campaign: Planet over Profit
Weak UK regulation is allowing irresponsible businesses to profit from supply chains that are destroying our environment and violating the rights of communities and workers both here in the UK and around the world. That’s why Friends of the Earth is calling for a new UK Business, Human Rights and Environment Act — a law that would make British companies responsible for the harm done in their supply chains, from deforestation to the displacement of communities overseas.
The Campaign:
Our world’s natural resources are being exploited to make countless everyday products, from chicken produced by soy-fed animals to soaps made with palm oil. Many companies involved in these global supply chains are wreaking havoc on our planet’s life support systems.
And this environmental destruction comes hand in hand with human rights abuses, particularly for people in poorer countries. These communities bear the brunt of deforestation, land grabbing and displacement, while global corporations reap the profits.
While many of us are conscious about the choices we make, shady practices from businesses behaving badly make it hard to see the impact of what we buy. But they must be held accountable for any damage they cause.
That’s why, together with the Corporate Justice Coalition, we’re part of the Good Business Matters campaign, calling for a new UK law that requires companies to avoid harm to people and planet in their supply chains.
What is Leeds FoE doing?
On 24 April 2026, Leeds Friends of the Earth held an event in Leeds city centre to lobby MPs on the Planet over Profit campaign. Alex Sobel MP (Leeds Central and Headingley) and Iqbal Mohamed MP (Dewsbury and Batley) both attended and pledged their support for the new law.
On 21 October over 200 activists came together from across the country as part of the Good Business Matters mass lobby. Participants lobbied their MPs for a new Business, Human Rights and Environment Act to hold companies to account for harm in their supply chains.
So far 100 MPs and Peers have signed the Good Business Matters pledge and 50 leading businesses – including Sainsbury’s, Primark and ASOS – support new legislation to level the playing field. This is bolstered by the more than 80% of people who say they would support such a law.
Attendees at the lobby heard from supporters of a new law including voices from trade unions, charities, affected communities in the global south and MPs.
135 MPs were contacted and over 40 in-person meetings took place. By coming together and engaging our MPs at scale like this, we’re able to show the strength of feeling across the country and really turn up the pressure for corporate justice.
Members of Leeds Friends of the Earths, together with Leeds City College Students and Leeds Craftivists met with five (Alex Sobel, Fabian Hamilton, Hilary Benn, Katie White and Richard Burgon) of the seven Leeds MPs (Rachel Reeves and Mark Sewards are the other two) at the Houses of Parliament. Our asks of them were:
- Join over 90 Parliamentarians in signing the Good Business Matters pledge in support of a new law. Share your support on social media
- Write to Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for DBIST, and Lord Anas Sarwar (minister responsible for Responsible Business Conduct), asking them to urgently publish the review of Responsible Business Conduct in full, and to champion the introduction of a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act as part of the government response to the review.
- Use any other opportunities to raise these issues in Parliament and express your support, including asking questions, sponsoring and joining relevant debates, speaking to responsible ministers and signing relevant motions.
Alex, Fabian and Richard had already signed the pledge and the remaining Leeds MPs were all supportive and agreed to do whatever they could to introduce the new law.
The lobby was a real success and it was great to make personal contact with our MP and explain the issue and to speak to other activists.
With even more parliamentarians now on board following the mass lobby, with the backing of big business and the public, and with the UK increasingly at risk of lagging behind as other European countries make significant strides in introducing corporate due diligence legislation, it’s hard to see how the government can go on ignoring how desperately we need a new Business, Human Rights and Environment Act.
Watch this space for our future actions. For more information about the campaign follow this link: Good Business Matters
INVESTOR STATE DISPUTE SETTLEMENTS
The UK is being sued for halting a coal mine by using a secretive corporate court – unbelievable but true. The system called Investor – State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) is written into trade deals and allows fossil fuel companies to sue governments for taking action on climate change by for instance refusing destructive developments like coal mines. They can pursue compensation for any aspect that loses them money including profit not yet made. This is a global problem with companies suing governments as the agreements are generally favourable to investors. Many London based law firms are encouraging companies to raise claims and to date the amount of public money awarded to corporations is £114billion. In the UK a open cast coal mine in Cumbria was refused permission. As a result a Malaysian company is now seeking compensation from the government for loss of earnings due to an ISDS. Even worse a Tory MP from Devon who is also a legal expert is representing the company.
On 16th October members of Leeds FoE headed to Hyde in Manchester to join Manchester FoE, Global Justice Now and the Climate Justice Coalition for a lobby outside the Trade Minister Johnny Reynolds office. We sang it’s time scrap ISDS to the tune of YMCA handed out leaflets held a rally and made sure the Trade Minister knew we were there. We were calling for the government to scrap ISDS from all future trade agreements. The campaign continues please see the Armchair action section below to see how to get involved, sign the petition and join the chorus to ditch these environmentally damaging, costly and unfair agreements.
Armchair Actions
If you can’t make a meeting, here are some positive actions you can take to support Leeds Friends of the Earth and National Friends of the Earth campaigns from the comfort of your armchair:
Take action for a world free from secretive corporate tribunals
Big business is using secretive tribunals to sue governments for billions over decisions that shape our collective future. This mechanism is called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). From fossil fuel giants to mining corporations, vulture funds to Big Tech, ISDS is used again and again as a corporate weapon against the public interest. We need to get rid of this anti-democratic system once and for all.
Join the movement to end ISDS and sign the petition!
To national governments:
We call on you to end ISDS in existing treaties, ideally in partnership with other countries, and not to sign up to any new forms of ISDS.
Watch The People’s Emergency Briefing Near You!
Recently, Leeds Friends of the Earth brought The People’s Emergency Briefing to our local communities with two successful film showings: one in Chapel Allerton and another in Morley.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for those events, engaged in the discussions, and helped build local momentum around climate and nature action!
What is The People’s Emergency Briefing?
The People’s Emergency Briefing is a UK-wide initiative designed to give the public and local decision-makers a clear, evidence-based account of the climate and nature crisis.
Presented by Chris Packham alongside top scientific experts, the film outlines the real-world implications for our health, food security, economy, and local communities. The aim is to bring constituents, local councils, and MPs together in the same room to see the same facts, start honest conversations, and push for urgent action at scale.
Find a Screening Near You
If you missed our local events in Chapel Allerton or Morley, or if you’d like to bring family, friends, and colleagues along to another showing, you can find upcoming events across the country using the interactive map below:
View Upcoming Screenings on the National Map
We strongly encourage everyone to check out the map, attend a nearby screening, and invite your local MP or councillors to come along!
