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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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Phone Home – And Away

John Elkington · 4 November 2017 · Leave a Comment

Looking up in One Great George Street
View from the EDF dinner

Another whistlestop week, ahead of flying to Oporto tomorrow – and then on to Lisbon on Monday. Interviews continue for the new Volans Executive Director, with some excellent candidates.

Meanwhile, the normal rhythm continues, as with a Social Stock Exchange Admissions Panel session on Tuesday afternoon at the We Work building at 1 Primrose Street, Spitalfields.

But a strong sense of change in the air, everywhere.

Among many other things, we began work this week on a new project for Novartis. On Wednesday alone, I spoke in the morning at an International Council for Mining & Minerals (ICMM) event in Westminster, at One George Street; then raced back to the office to greet and talk to a Japanese study tour, interested in learning lessons from the London Olympics for Tokyo’s impending Games; had my second session with Emily Cavendish in Harley Street; then went across to 125 Finsbury Pavement to launch the latest version of the Future-Fit Foundation‘s business benchmark.

Then on to dinner at L’Anima Café with an interesting group, including the three speakers from the panel I chaired: Chris Davis from The Body Shop, Sue Almond from Grant Thornton; and Susanne Stormer from Novo Nordisk.

As I headed home, I discovered I had left my iPhone at the Future Fit event, having been asked to do a short filmed interview – and left it where I thought it wouldn’t interfere with the mike. Third time I have abandoned it so far this year, though the ‘Find My iPhone’ service is astoundingly helpful. Went across to retrieve it on Thursday morning.

With Elaine still away with Hania in Bordeaux, Thursday evening was a dinner at Sea Containers on the south bank, hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Love how they think. Great conversation with their President, Fred Krupp, overlooking the Thames. Meanwhile, Gayle Olivier, a relatively new recruit to the Volans team, took my place at a Unilever event, just across the river.

Other projects under way at the moment include a 3-city initiative with Innovate UK, which is focusing on Newcastle, Nottingham and London. More on that anon.

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Introduction

I began this blog with an entry reporting on a visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, on 30 September 2003. The blog element of the website has gone through several iterations since, with much of the older material still available.

Like so many things in my life, blog entries blur the boundaries between the personal and the professional. As explained on this site’s Home Page, the website and the blog are part platform for ongoing projects, part autobiography, and part accountability mechanism.

In addition, my blogs have appeared on many sites such as: Chinadialogue, CSRWire, Fast Company, GreenBiz, Guardian Sustainable Business, and the Harvard Business Review.

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About

John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. He is currently Founding Partner and Executive Chairman of Volans, a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements.

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john@johnelkington.com  |  +44 203 701 7550 | Twitter: @volansjohn

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