Founded in 1990 by Brice Lalonde, Environment Minister, upon the suggestion of President François Mitterrand, it describes itself as a club with cross-party alliances of green-minded politicians and public servants.

Noël Mamère was the movement's vice-president from 1992 to 1994, when he was excluded from the party and founded the Ecology-Solidarity Convergence, which later joined The Greens.

It has worked alongside various organisations, most prominently the Federalist Party, the Centre of Handicapped Democrats, and the Vanquish Unemployment Association.

France Gamerre replaced Brice Lalonde as leader and she aimed to run in the 2007 French presidential election.

In the 2009 European Parliament election, the party ran as part of the Independent Ecological Movement which won 3.63% of the vote.