John Elkington

Soon-to-be hot seats at Daunt’s Elephant observes FDR and WSC FDR and WSC

Went across to Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street – one of my favourites worldwide – this evening, to listen to Robert McCrum interviewed on his book Globish, which I have been enjoying this past week or so on flights and trains. As Elaine and I walked back to Green Park, we passed the wonderful sculpture (Allies) by Lawrence Holofcener of Roosevelt and Churchill, where – appropriately – Old Bond Street joins New Bond Street. The sculpture is intriguingly overlooked at the moment by one of the elephants that currently dot town, emplaced by the Elephant Family, who occupied our 2 Bloomsbury offices before we did.

Queen Victoria and Winston Wong Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle, Imperial College Jimi, Ray and Jacqueline, Royal Albert Hall Elton John’s piano taps its three toes Alison on stage Dancers Winston Wong 2 Winston Wong 3

As I walked uphill from South Kensington to the Royal Albert Hall this morning, my eye was caught by Winston Wong’s Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle in the front window of Imperial College – and had to go in and take a photo or two, which I also did on my way back. Fascinating piece of sculpture, apart from anything else.

Struggled to break into the Royal Albert Hall, since pretty much all the doors were closed, but found my way in through the Stage Door eventually, only to be told that the way in was the next door over. Was there to do a keynote at the launch of a new report on reducing the carbon footprint of the music touring industry in the UK, produced by one my favourite social enterprises, Julie’s Bicycle, founded by Al(ison) Tickell. Was introduced by JB Chairman Tony Wadsworth, who I got to thank for his extraordinary role in getting out some of my favourite music over the decades.

Back to office for a meeting with JWT – and to film a short interview for Zheng Jieying’s new organisation in New Zealand, using the Flip camera I was given by the Volans team for my sixtieth birthday last year.

RCA Show – whence came, many years back, the seahorse print that now adorns the Volans offices

Place Vendome – with mummified white cars Inside Above our heads as we dine Sky as I head ‘home’ View from ‘home’, on 23rd floor Ready for the Big Think debate In the garden of Le Pre Catalan

Fairly busy day, then Eurostar to Paris, dinner at Hotel d’Evreux, Place Vendome. Part of the Atlantic Dinners series, the theme this time: Brazil – the Atlantic’s Wild Card? Stayed at the Hotel Concorde La Fayette, which afforded spectacular view over the city towards La Defense.

I periodically have the sort of anxiety dream in which everything goes wrong on a journey – and the next morning was a living version of that. With taxis to and from the dinner having chewed up more euros than I had expected, I asked the concierge in the hotel where I could get out some euros: was there an ATM? Yes, he said, but deep in the heart of the Porte Maillot complex.

There began the most anxiety-inducing quest, which included blind alleys galore, an ATM machine that swallowed my card and refused to give it back until I hit all the buttons more or less simultaneously, at which point another ATM coughed up, then there were no taxis outside the main conference hall, so I headed back through the complex to the hotel to join the taxi line in front, only to find that there were some 25 people in it. When, finally, I got a taxi, the African driver was new to Paris and, though he knew where the Bois de Boulogne was, had no idea where Le Pre Catalan was, so we went back and forth until I told him to stop and ask. Which he did, and then we found our way. Happily, though, I was still early.

I was moderating a panel session that was being filmed for the Big Think, which my panellists being Philippe Delorme (Executive Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Schneider Electric), Neville Isdell (former CEO of Coca-Cola and Chairman of the International Business Leaders Forum), Girish Paranjpe (Joint Chief Executive of Wipro’s IT business) and Bjorn Stigson (President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development). Session ran for around an hour and a half, and among the issues we covered were BP’s Gulf spill, the changing role of CEOs, the race to build the Green Economy, and the question whether the financial sector is a help or hindrance in all of this?

Will post a link when the session is posted on Big Think. Really liked their approach and am keen to see whether there are other ways we can work together. Wonderful lunch at Le pre Catalan, then back to Gare du Nord for the Eurostar home.

Bumblebee on poppy in garden Cycladic head in glass cupboard

A couple of images snapped this morning in the garden and kitchen. I love Cycladic art (and its variants) almost as much as I love bumblebees.

Zappeion Chairs Wayne Visser discusses BP disaster Angel in the bushes … … as Wayne interviews me Front cover picture (detail) of EuroCharity Yearbook 2007, post-fires

Just back from Athens, where was a speaker at the CSR 2.0: CEO & CSR Money Conference held in the Zappeion building. Arrived late yesterday at the Royal Olympic Hotel and was very struck by the view of a Roman temple from my bedroom window. Had meant to have breakfast on the roof terrace, overlooking the Acropolis, but had to get my suit pressed this morning – and decided I couldn’t trudge around the hotel in a dressing gown.

Last night, had a nice drink by the hotel pool with Peter Michel Heilmann (President) and Michael Spanos (Managing Partner) of EuroCharity, to discuss the conference, their work and possible joint projects. They gave me copies of the EuroCharity Yearbooks for 2007 and 2008, the first of which features a beautiful – but dreadful – image on its cover, of a statue that survived the devastating fires that swept across Greece in 2006. Arson was at the root of many of the fires, spurred by a desire to develop – though anyone who looks at the Greek landscape today and knows what it was like in classical times must wonder what these particular Greeks imagine anyone will come to see in the future. Logging, goats and fires have put paid to much of what made the country liveable in the pre-oil (and air-conditioning) era.

Interesting conference, focusing on transparency, accountability, reporting and the impact of social media. Though slightly weird to see other people using images I developed at SustainAbility and/or Volans in their presentations, with no referencing or credit. Met a number of people I want to follow up with – and, despite the landscape trends, was reminded of just how much I like this part of the world.

It is now exactly 40 years since I was last in Athens, when Elaine, four friends and I took my family’s Land-Rover around the mainland and islands for a couple of months. Then the Colonels were in everyone’s minds, today it’s the financial collapse. In my speech, I spotlighted the role that corruption has played in this latest tragedy – and suggested that the addresses of the developers who exploit future fires should be published on the Internet.

Finished Ben Macintyre’s wonderfully engaging book Operation Mincemeat on the flight from Amsterdam to Athens, and got a hundred pages into Robert McCrum’s Globish (the story of how English became the world’s language) on the flight back today. Always slightly suspicious, though, when I read a book on a subject which at least one author has written brilliantly on before – in this case Bill Bryson, in his stunning Mother Tongue – and there is no mention of that earlier work. May be nothing in it.