John Elkington

After breakfast with Charlene (Cranny, from Volans) and Christian (Scarf), Marie (Sauvignon) and Sophie (Öberg) from IMS, Charlene and I worked for several hours, then made our way across to the Forum venue, Luxexpo’s ‘The Box’. Made some wonderful connections at and around the Forum today. Some fairly deep conversations with everyone from Environment Minister Joëlle Welfring to a psychology student from Germany, Joanna Krupp, in what she told me was her her first properly public speech. A number of invitations to come back, which I am very inclined to do.

Then flew home, dropping off to see Louise on the way, to discuss our Neste session in Finland from Sunday, before heading Barnes-ward to carry out one of the Zoom interviews for our new Crown Estate project – and another with Dean Hand, Chief Research Officer at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), finalising my presentation for their upcoming conference in Den Haag.

Flew in to Luxembourg this morning via BA, after a very early start. Plane made an automatic landing because of thick/low fog. Reading Douglas Roushkoff’s book, The Survival of the Richest on the flight. Very impressed by the city’s free trams, which we rode to the hotel. Then worked energetically in Novotel before walking across to this evening’s event, hosted by Inspiring More Sustainability (IMS) with Charlene Cranny of Volans.

Sat next to – and later spoke alongside – Economy Minister Franz Fayot. Fascinating conversations and was stunned by the architecture of – and around – La Table du Belvédère. Already lots on invitations to come back, or to speak in other EU countries.

The latest in my Green Swan conversations reworked by Topia features sci-fi giant David Brin. What a joy!

After getting back into São Paulo from Paraná, Louise and I were picked up by Nina, a sister of a friend of Louise’s in Denmark, who drove us to Vila Madelena. We walked around this high creative quarter of the city, centre of bohemian culture and art. A visual feast. Fascinating visit to a cooperative supermarket. Lovely lunch in a small café, though – by no means atypically – I left my bag there and we had to retrace our steps to retrieve it.

Then we took the subway to the city’s main avenue, Paulista Avenue. There we went to a high observation point to look across the city, before taking a cab back to the hotel.

The adventures continue. Yesterday, we were flown to Paraná in a small, private Citation jet – though we were assured that the emissions were being offset as part of the previous day’s event. Four Klabin people accompanied us, including Klabin’s Chief Technology Officer, Francisco César Razzolini.

Among other things we were given a guided tour of: the Klabin pulp mill – where we saw different stages of the Puma project, the biggest investment in Klabin’s history; one of a series of smallholdings helping the landless find a footing; and the company-sponsored ecology park, where we watched an operation being carried out on a maned wolf.

In the evening we went out for a beer in Harmonia, where many Klabin people live, staying overnight at the Klabin hotel there. Then, this (very cold) morning we visited the Klabin technology centre nearby, being shown a range of products, old and new.

Next, we were invited to plant another tree each, this time within Harmonia, behind an environmental centre. Louise planted a Copaíba, whereas in my case the sapling was a Sibipiruna. As I said to Louise after yesterday’s rather more informal planting, it’s as if you leave something of your soul in the soil – in a good way.

Then we were flown back to São Paulo, clear skies permitting a very different view of the landscape than we could see through yesterday’s clouds.