John Elkington

Deep dive into Mission Zero

Carpet spectrum Bobbins I’m squatter in tanker reflection Into the Awarehouse Welcomed Reflected in the Net Effect ceiling Shadowed Natural inspiration Doors

Amy (Birchall) and I flew across to Amsterdam on Wednesday evening, walking to the Mercure hotel in Amersfoort in pouring rain and a considerable wind, to spend a couple of days with Interface at their Scherpenzeel site. Fascinating interviews, from C-Suite to shopfloor, for a project we’re doing for the company on which more anon. Key focus on progress with Mission Zero. Then a delayed flight back to Heathrow.

It’s a sign – and Amy Door covered with Lapland moss/lichen, which is alive Filmed by Ben and Paul of Limehouse

London Stock Exchange and then Sustainable Brands

Before opening the Exchange: Toby Heaps, photographer, Mark Makepeace, Paul Avery

Went first thing to the London Stock Exchange, for launch of CK Capital’s latest benchmarking survey of stock exchanges in relation to corporate sustainability disclosures. Corporate Knights co-founder and President Toby Heaps was joined by Mark Makepeace (Chief Executive of the FTSE Group) and Paul Avery (Head of Investments, Aviva Investors).

The actual opening of the Exchange was a little less dramatic than I had expected, with a photographer taking lots of photograps of the guests clapping on a balcony overlooking a large blue ball representing the trading. Felt slightly weird, but it may have been symbolic in some wider way.

Then on to Sustainable Brands conference to do a plenary session with Marie-Claire Daveu of Kering, on sustainability as a driver of brand innovation. Then back to Bloomsbury Place to begin the working day.

Generation Investment Management’s CEO Sustainability Summit

David Blood opens the event John Kao and piano Stairwell at St Pancras Hotel Ditto Jochen Zeitz in sustainable consumption session Ditto And ditto again Al Gore and Sir Jony Ive in the last session

A quite remarkably interesting couple of days with Generation, kicking off with a dinner at the Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre last night, where, among many other conversations, I had a great catch-up with Bill McDonough.

Then today across early to the St Pancras Hotel for the CEO Sustainability Summit proper. For more on Generation’s latest thinking, including on how stranded asset risks should be incorporated in financial analysis, see here.

Can’t go into detail, but a real privilege to be involved in these two events — and I particularly enjoyed two of the plenary sessions today, one with John Kao (who did a brilliant session on creativity and who I would meet later) and Apple’s wizzard designer Sir Jony Ive. I asked Sir Jony a question in the final session about supply chain issues – and found his answer persuasive.

Great to spend some time, too, with Jochen (Zeitz). The book is coming along.

Thrilled to be told by Josh Tetrick of Hampton Creek Foods that my writing had an influence on his move into the field years ago. I had read about their work on egg substitutes in Wired or Fast Company, and was thrilled to learn a bit more about what they are doing. Also, with his permission, brought back a couple of jars of Sriracha Mayo, which among other things is Vegan, Gluten-free, Egg-free, Cholesterol-free, Soy-free and Lactose-free. And yet, I’m told, is delicious. The taste of sustainability. Can’t wait.

(Initially posted this blog without explaining the title. David Blood, in his introduction to the event, mentioned that in addition to the Blood and Gore surnames of the founders, there had been — I imagine playful – thought of adding in someone with the surname Slaughter. But, sensibly, they stuck with Generation.)