The Sustainability Agenda

Professor Carlota Perez has spent her career researching the profound impact technology has had on socio-economic development.  In this fascinating interview, we explore the two distinct phases of a technological revolution as outlined by Carlota: installation – or experimental early phase – and deployment (or “Golden Age”).  Carlota emphasizes the critical role governments play in...

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to how economic theory is divorced from environmental reality, exemplified by how environmental breakdown is often dismissingly referred to as a mere “externality”. In this fascinating interview, we’re talking to self-described renegade economist Kate Raworth about a new economic vision that is firmly grounded in...

In this interview, we welcome Ian Gough to discuss his most recent book Heat, Greed and Human Need: Climate Change, Capitalism, and Sustainable Wellbeing. Here, Ian describes his initial concerns over the evident gap between the climate change agenda and social policy over the last decade. Ian’s work aims to blend together economy, ecology, social...

Founded in 1993, Global Witness is a non-profit organization working to expose environmental and human rights abuses resulting from the exploitation of natural resources supported by political and/or economic corruption through the help of a global network of partners and allies.  Global Witness currently has active campaigns in over 15 countries designed to make national...

Jeremy Lent is an author whose writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. He is the founder of the non-profit Liology Institute, which is dedicated to a worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably; Jeremy works to integrate history and philosophy to shape a more...

Dr. Jason Hickel is an anthropologist, author and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His book, The Divide, addresses global inequality and was published by Penguin Random House in 2017. Jason has taught at a number of universities including Goldsmiths, and the University of London where he currently convenes the MA in Anthropology...

Daniel Nyberg is a Professor of Management at the Newcastle Business School in Australia.  His main research focus is seeking to understand how corporations responsibly – or not so responsibly – engage with society and the environment. He has a background in social sciences and co-authored the book Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations: Processes of Creative...

As more and more cities transition away from the port and manufacturing hubs of old to brain-based, service leading economies of the future, a greater emphasis will be placed on cities to push for sustainability in order to successfully compete for global commerce.  In this insightful interview with Dr. Cohen, co-author of The Sustainable City...

Tobias Webb is the founder of the Innovation Forum, a sustainability events and publishing company based in London. Innovation Forum facilitates debate-driven events to help drive innovation and dialog.  Through collaborative events with partners, the company focuses on addressing the most difficult questions companies are facing today to assure sustainable supply chains. Tobias has also spent...

Tim Jackson is Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP). His vision for CUSP builds on thirty years of multi-disciplinary research on sustainability and decades of policy experience, in particular his work as Economics Commissioner on the UK Sustainable Development Commission....

Georg Kell is the founder and former Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact. the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative with over 9,000 corporate signatories in more than 160 countries. As its founding Executive Director, Georg helped to establish the United Nations Global Compact as the foremost platform for the development, implementation and...

In this interview, jointly with the Drawdown Agenda, Paul Hawken, the co-founder and Executive Director of Project Drawdown, discusses the inception and mission of Drawdown– and explains the research, modelling and analysis underpinning the project. He emphasises how this project is the first of its kind, as previously many, even within the science community, had...

In this rich and broad discussion, Dr. Daniel Wahl makes the case for biomimicry and regenerative cultures, particularly by stressing the importance of creating biomaterials-based circular economies that are conducive to life. He highlights the innately destructive nature of our economic system whereby environmental and social costs are not adequately priced and regenerative activity is not incentivised....

Dr Lovejoy is a tropical biologist and conservation biologist. He a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation and University Professor in the Environmental Science and Policy department at George Mason University. Dr Lovejoy was the World Bank’s Chief Biodiversity Advisor and the Lead Specialist for Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean as well...

Jeff Goodell is a leading environmental journalist and author. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times magazine and serves as serves contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine. He is the author of six books including How to Cool the Planet: Geoengineering and the Quest to Fix Earth’s Climate (2010) and Big Coal:...

Cameron Hepburn is Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science, and he is Director of the Economics of Sustainability Programme at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School He has published widely on energy, resources and environmental challenges across a...

In episode 45 of the Sustainability Agenda, Professor Bill Laurance reveals the enormous, and neglected, environmental impact of road building in the global south and highlights the massive environmental risks associated with China’s dizzyingly ambitious Belt and Road initiative—a vast series of infrastructure projects across 70 countries with an estimated budget of $8 trillion. Laurance explains the traditional cycle of...

In episode 44 of the Sustainability Agenda, China Dialogue founder Isabel Hilton gives an overview of China’s emergence as a key environmental actor on the world stage and assesses China’s recent environmental engagement (and motivations). Isabel talks about how the Chinese government exercises control in matters environmental – and some of the particular challenges the...

Dr. Charly Kleissner is a pioneer in the field of impact investment. He believes that the deeper meaning of wealth is to make a positive contribution to humanity and the planet. Dr. Kleissner co-founded KL Felicitas Foundation (www.klfelicitasfoundation.org), and Social-Impact International (www.social-impact.org), which help social entrepreneurs worldwide to accelerate and increase their impact.  Dr. Kleissner co-founded...

George Serafeim is the Jakurski Family Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He has a wide range of research interests including international business, corporate governance and corporate reporting, with a special focus on sustainability. George has presented his research in over 60 countries and is one of the most popular business authors,...