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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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John Elkington

Alarm bells at the Science Museum

John Elkington · 9 December 2008 · Leave a Comment

The fire alarms went off at the Science Museum this evening, part way through the celebration of the Cambridge Programme for Industry’s 20th anniversary.  Several hundred of us were herded out into the street while what look like the Ghostbusters crew moved in the opposite direction.  Earlier, I had taken part in a lively panel discussion in the IMAX theatre.  Polly Courtice kicked us off and then Professor Robert Mair (Master, Jesus College)  chaired the panel, with Jonathon Porritt (Forum for the Future), Doug Parr (Greenpeace), Emma Howard-Boyd (Jupiter Asset Management) and I in the hot seats.  Charmian, Sam and Smita came from Volans — and Sam took the middle pair of photos below.

Science Museum, detail Science Museum, detail   Sam's-eye view through rail Perhaps accidentally, a Sam’s-eye view through rail   Sam's-eye view of panel: Jonathon, Doug, Robert, Emma and me Sam’s-eye view of panel: Jonathon, Doug, Robert, Emma and me   Christmas lights as I head home Christmas lights as I head home

Barnes Pond and the Thames running low

John Elkington · 8 December 2008 · Leave a Comment

A few photographs from a walk around Barnes on Sunday — and another shot as I walked to the bus stop to head in to work.

Thames and Barnes Bridge 1 Thames and Barnes Bridge 1   Thames and figure 1 Thames and figure 1   Thames and figure 2 Thames and figure 2   Barnes Pond, sunrise Barnes Pond, sunrise

Who’s Who

John Elkington · 6 December 2008 · Leave a Comment

   

I may be green, but made it into the red book — Who’s Who 2009 — this year, alongside the likes of Daniel Craig.  Am rather glad we didn’t have to race one another along a sky-crane for the privilege.

Family reunion

John Elkington · 3 December 2008 · Leave a Comment

Rupert taken over my shoulder by Sam Rupert taken over my shoulder by Sam

Left the GIIN reception (see previous entry) to catch a cab across to the Duke of Cambridge pub, where Charmian and I were due for the first joint Christmas dinner between the SustainAbility and Volans teams in London.  In addition to Charmian, other Volanders there were Sam and Smita.  A rather noisy — but completely wonderful — family reunion.  Struck me that of those present from the SustainAbility side, probably the longest serving — part from myself — was Rupert Bassett, our designer.

Sam at work Sam at work

Global Impact Investing Network

John Elkington · 3 December 2008 · Leave a Comment

View from J.P. Morgan offices at 10 Aldermanbury View from J.P. Morgan offices at 10 Aldermanbury

At a time when many people are thinking back to Presidents like Lincoln and FDR for clues on how to rescue the US economy, it might also be worth recalling John Pierpoint Morgan, credited with saving the US economy on two separate occasions.  Was reminded of him this afternoon, which I spent chez J.P. Morgan Chase & Company, the financial services firm, which hosted (alongside The Rockefeller Foundation, Social Finance, Generation Investment Management and Citigroup) a meeting of people and institutions interested in building out a London node for the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).   Obvious acronym would be GIIN, though that’s already taken by Groupe Intersyndicale de l’Industrie Nucleare, it seems.  

In any event, GIIN — due for launch in 2009 — is “a select global group of investors and intermediaries who put capital to work at scale to generate social and/or environmental value as well as financial return.”  Among those present were a number of people I knew, including Mark Campanale, who reminded me that he and I had first started working in the socially responsible investing field as long ago as 1988, with the Merlin Ecology Fund and Tessa Tennant.  

In any event, the triple bottom lives — and, indeed, seems to be gaining traction in the heart of the economic beast.  Look out for an impending report from the Monitor Group on the potential for impact investing.  Meanwhile, I sometimes find myself wishing I hadn’t given up economics at university in 1968, though I doubt I would have learned that much that would have been directly relevant to today’s work, though a more thorough immersion in the works of Kondratiev, Schumpeter and Keynes would have been an advantage in these times.

Mark Campanale in one of the rooms where reception will be held Mark Campanale in one of the rooms where reception will shortly be held

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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.

Contact

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

John Elkington

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