McTaggart was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 1932. As a youth he was an outstanding athlete whose interests included skiing, tennis, squash, and golf. He won the Canadian National Badminton championship in the singles division three years running.

McTaggart worked in the construction business for 20 years, moving to the US in the 60s where he became a successful contractor and developer.

“You’re trying to get your children into the 21st century. To hell with the rules”.

David McTaggart, Greenpeace International founder (1932-2001)

After an explosion which destroyed a resort lodge built by his firm and seriously injured an employee, McTaggart left the business for semi-retirement and to sail around the Pacific.

Sailing into the forbidden zone

In 1972 he became outraged with the French Government's decision to cordon off a vast swath of international waters to conduct their nuclear testing program in the Pacific.

He renamed his 12.6 metre sailing craft "Greenpeace III" and sailed to the zone surrounding Moruroa Atoll. McTaggart observed international law in establishing his anchor position, but ignored the French Government's unilateral declaration of the area as a forbidden zone.

The presence of his boat, at a position downwind from the planned blast, forced the French government to halt its test. A French Navy vessel eventually rammed the boat to end the embarrassing situation.

Beaten by the French government

McTaggart repaired his boat and returned a year later. He was physically beaten by French military personnel, who denied the charge, claiming that McTaggart's ship had already left the area.

One of McTaggart's crew had photographed the beating, however, and the film, which was smuggled out of French custody with the crew member, proved the French had been lying. The photographs were widely published, and the story drew further criticism to the French nuclear testing program.

McTaggart wins the fight

McTaggart entered into lengthy litigation against the French. In 1974 he won part of his case, a landmark decision in which the French courts sided against the French government. That same year, the French announced that they would end their atmospheric nuclear testing program.

Uniting Greenpeace

In 1977 McTaggart began organising new support throughout Europe for Greenpeace, by then established in nine countries. In 1979 he forged an international alliance between separate factions of the organisation and united them under his chairmanship as Greenpeace International.

Between 1975 and 1991, McTaggart was a driving force behind Greenpeace campaigns to save the whales, stop the dumping of nuclear waste in the ocean, block the production of toxic wastes, end nuclear testing, and protect the Antarctic from oil and mineral exploitation.

Over the length of his career he published numerous articles and two books. Awards for his contributions to environmentalism worldwide include the Onassis Award, The Kreisky Prize, and the United Nations Environmental Programme's Global 500 Award.

In September of 1991, McTaggart retired from active chairmanship of Greenpeace International to a farm in Italy, where he produced organic olive oils and continued to work on whaling and other issues through his own foundation.

Tragically, McTaggart died in an auto accident on March 23, 2001 near his home in Italy.