This brief overview of the development of Green parties around
the world has been compiled from readily available information.
In most cases, the date given is when a national Green party
formed, generally after a period of time when Green independents
or local and regional groups contested elections..

1972 The world’s first Green party, the United Tasmania
Group (Australia), formed in March to fight the drowning of
Lake Pedder, followed in May by the world’s first national
Green party, the New Zealand Values Party.

1973 PEOPLE (later the Ecology Party) formed in the UK – the
first Green party in Europe.

1979 Daniel Brelaz (Switzerland) became the first Green MP
in the world elected to a national parliament. Green and radical
parties from West Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands and Italy
established the Coordination of European and Radical Parties
after the 1979 elections

1980 French-speaking Ecolo (Belgium) formed and gained 5% of
the vote and five deputies in 1981; Flemish-speaking Agalev
(Belgium) became a national political party in 1982, having
already gained three elected MPs in 1981. Die Grünen (West
Germany) first used the term ‘Green’, participating
in their first national election campaign.

1981 Miljöpartiet de Gröne (Sweden) formed and in
1988 became the first new party to enter the Swedish parliament
in 70 years, winning 5.5% of the vote. Ecology Party of Ireland
(later Comhaontas Glas) formed.

1982 Os Verdes (Portugal) formed.

1983 Die Grünen (West Germany) gained 5.6% of the vote
and 28 seats (out of 497) in the federal parliament. Green
parties formed in Denmark (De Gronne), Luxembourg (Dei Greng),
the Netherlands (De Groenen), Switzerland (Die Grünen/Les
Verts) and Canada.

1984 Green parties of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, United
Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland formed the European
Coordination of Green Parties with a Joint Declaration of Aims.
Les Verts (France) formed after ecologist candidates had contested
elections since 1974.

1986 Green parties formed in Mexico (Partido Verde de Mexico,
later Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico), Austria (Die Grüne
Alternative), Brazil (following the end of the military dictatorship)
and Italy (Federazione dei Verdi).

1987 Vihrea Liitto (Green Union, Finland) formalised as a political
party. Federazione dei Verde won 13 seats in national elections.

1988 Miljöpartiet de Gronne (Norway) formed.

1989 Green parties formed in Bulgaria, Estonia (Eesti Rohelised),
Georgia and Malta Alternattiva Demokratika). UK Greens won
15% of the vote in elections for the European Parliament, but
no seats because of the first-past-the-post voting system.

1990 The Mongolian Greens formed -- the first Green party in
Asia. Green parties formed in Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
the Netherlands (a second group called GroenLinks which merged
four small leftist parties), New Zealand (Green Party of Aeotearoa
New Zealand) and Ivory Coast (Parti pour la Protection de l’Environment).
The Scottish Green Party declared autonomy from the Green Party
of England and Wales.

1991 Green parties formed in Ukraine, Burkino Faso (Green Party
of Burkino Faso, Parti Ecologiste pour le Progres), Cameroon
(Defense de l’Environment Camerounais), Guinea Bissau
(Liga Guineense de Protecca Ecologica), Mali (Parti Ecologiste
pour l’Integration), Niger (Rassemblement pour un Sahel
Vert, later Rassemblement des Verts).

1992 Greens from around the world met informally for the first
time at the Rio Earth Summit in Brazil. Green parties formed
in Guinea (Parti des Ecologistes Guineens), Senegal (Parti
Africain Ecologiste Senegalais) and Australia.

1993 The European Coordination of Green Parties transformed
into the European Federation of Green Parties with representatives
mandated to speak on behalf of the Greens in Europe. Zold Alternativa
(Hungary, later Zold Demokratak) formed.

1994 Eleven Green parties from nine west African and central
African countries formed the African Greens Committee.

1996 Green parties formed in Taiwan, Nepal, Cyprus. In the
USA, the Association of State Green Parties formed which in
2001 officially became the Green Party of the United States.
The Australian Greens decided to host a conference of Green
parties from around the world in April 2001.

1997 The European Federation of Green Parties funded Rosalie
Steward (New Zealand) to compile an ‘International Directory
of Green Parties’. Greens around the world coordinated
initiatives for Kyoto Protocol negotiations. The African Greens
Committee became the African Federation of Green Parties.

1998 The Federacion de Partidos Verdes de las Americas formed,
in Isla Bella Brazil. Green parties formed in Colombia (Partido
Verde Oxigeno) and Greece (Prassini Politiki). The first Intercontinental
Meeting of Green Legislators was held in Mexico City, with
representatives from Mexico, Brazil, Canada, USA, Slovakia,
Australia. In Burkina Faso, Ram Ouedraogo gained 7% of the
vote in presidential elections and has since become a senior
minister. Greens at the Buenos Aires Climate Conference issued
a Global Greens Statement on Climate Change (European Federation
of Green Parties, Green Group in the European Parliament, Federation
of Green Parties of the Americas, Federation of African Green
Parties, Australia Greens, Taiwan Green Party).

1999 The Milenio Verde conference in Oaxaca (Mexico) was attended
by 150 Greens from 24 countries and endorsed a Global Green
Message.

2000 Asia Pacific Greens Workshop in Brisbane (Australia) led
to the formation of the Asia Pacific Greens Network including
Green parties and political movements from Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Mongolia, New Zealand, Thailand, New Caledonia, Korea, Japan,
Nepal, Philippines, Timor Lorosa’e. Greens at The Hague
Climate Conference (Netherlands) issued joint media statements
(Mexico, Guatemala, New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Germany,
Italy, France, Austria, Luxemburg, The Netherlands). Greens
presidential candidates Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke (USA)
gained three million votes and the Green Party emerged as the
third force in US politics. Green Party of Jordan established.

2001 Global Greens 2001 conference (Australia) adopted the
Global Greens Charter and established the Global Green Coordination
and Network. Green Party of Papua New Guinea formed. Los Verdes—Izquierda
Verde (Greens/Green left) federation formed in Spain

.Information
sources. Parkin, Sara, 1989, Green Parties: An International
Guide, Heretic Books, London. Web pages. File information.