Journal

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

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 shortly be held

Muses?

By Eurostar yesterday for an EcoVadis Advisory Board meeting, held in la Maison de l’Amerique Latine.  Put up at the Hotel Bellechasse, which was intriguing — and took a brief walk around the Musee d’Orsay, just behind, before turning in.  Not sure whether the six female figures were Muses or not, but that was the best I could arrive at — though I seem to recall that the Muses numbered anywhere between three and nine, depending who you happened to talk to.

Very interesting EcoVadis session.  Had forgotten I had to do a small keynote over lunch for some 35-40 people drawn from their client universe, but managed to develop my thoughts during the morning.  Then spent an hour or two on a sofa catching up with Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel, also a member of the EcoVadis Advisory Board and a long-standing  ally when she ran  UNEP’s DTIE  — and now as a colleague at GRI.  

Then, late afternoon, Jacqueline took me by bus to Gare de Lyon for a meeting with Sylvie Lemmet, who now runs the UNEP Division of Trade, Industry and Economics.  A very animated meeting over green tea at Le Train Bleu, with some potentially quite interesting ideas surfacing, after which I took a cab back to Gare du Nord for the Eurostar home.  Trains slow at the moment, because of the repairs after the tunnel fire a while back.  Ordered a cheese baguette for the ride home, only to find that the charming woman had stuffed it full of sliced ham, too.  It ended up in the bin, a crime of several sorts, I’m sure.

Le Train Bleu – without flash

I was picked up from Lisbon airport last night by Cristina Santiago and Liliane Padua, who some years  back formed iZi Palestras, the “first international speakers bureau in Portugal”, and was taken across to the Pestana Palace, a hotel which is also a national monument.  On my way to breakfast this morning, I met Sean Ansett, who I used to know when he was with Gap, and together we peered into the chapel that forms part of the complex.  Something of a Hugh Buchanan (a favourite painter) moment, with shaft of sunlight illuminating furniture.

Then across to the conference centre for an introduction to the event by the Secretary of State for Employment – and my speech, followed by a discussion session.  Then a media interview, followed by lunch with Helena Caiado and others, before Cristina and Liliane took me for a delightful drive and wander around parts of the city.  

Got onto the Airbus 320 late in the day and switched on my BlackBerry to find out what had happened in the Mumbai attacks, to find that an A320 had just crashed in the Mediterranean. Sometimes you can have too much information.

Morning curtain, Pestana Palace Hugh Buchanan moment Golden Gate’s cousin: 25 de Abril Bridge Picturesque, but unpleasant things happened in the Belem Tower, apparently Belem Tower, 2

Age of Discovery: monument to Portugal’s glory days

Discoveries Monument 2 Cristina and Liliane Liliane and Cristina

Alejandro (Litovsky), Geoff (Lye) and I made our way by Eurostar and car across Belgium and Holland – with snow on the ground already – for an ultimately not very successful meeting with DSM, but at least we got to see a solar car along the way.

Nuon 4, 1   Nuon 4, 2, and Geoff