• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

  • About
    • Ambassador from the future
  • Past lives
    • Professional
      • Volans
      • SustainAbility
      • CounterCurrent
      • Boards & Advisory Boards
      • Awards & Listings
    • Personal
      • Family
      • Other Influences
      • Education
      • Photography
      • Music
      • Cycling
    • Website
  • Speaking
    • Media
    • Exhibitions
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Reports
    • Articles & Blogs
    • Contributions
    • Tweets
    • Unpublished Writing
  • Journal
  • Contact
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Journal

Journal

On Leaving Comfort Zones

John Elkington · 15 April 2019 · Leave a Comment

Press play: With Barahtunde Thurston
The background – and our theme for the day
Trying not to show how spectacularly cold it was
Poring over a model of what was once Europe’s ‘most beautiful’ coal-processing facility

Covestro have launched the videos we filmed outside Essen back in January. Thank you Baratunde for making it so easy. The full range of videos can be found here. I’ve almost warmed up now. Speaking of which, take a look at the interview with Gator Halpern of Coral Vita, talking about how coral reefs are being forced out of their comfort zones – and what he’s doing to remedy that problem.

Lisbon

John Elkington · 8 April 2019 · Leave a Comment

Just back from a week in Lisbon – and here are some images to capture the spirit of the journey.

Spotted in passing
Sunfish at the Oceanarium
Lionfish, I think
Walking back from the Oceanarium
Balancing act
Pigeons
Lisboa
Finger on aerosol button
Passing by
Tree
Ditto
Walking up to the castle
Ditto
Gene – or genie?
Fishflight
Fractal sky
Amália Rodrigues
At the Gulbenkian Museum: Phineas P. Gage and his headache
Memorable brands from my childhood
Where it all started, collecting ancient coins. Reminds me of the period of my life where I shuttled to and and from Hamburg, buying Roman coins at London auction houses and taking them to Peter Siemer in Hamburg. He was too well known to bid at auction, so when he arrived prices went up. They didn’t when I bid. So back and forth I shuttled. And on the return trip, I would bring second hand left-hand drive Volkswagens to sell to American students wanting to drive around Europe. Something of a racket, I suppose. But may stories.

World Changing Ideas 2019

John Elkington · 8 April 2019 · Leave a Comment

Delighted to have been a judge for these Fast Company awards. Learned a lot! So many organisations I’d like to visit …

Green Swans On The Brain

John Elkington · 4 April 2019 · Leave a Comment

Am in Lisbon as I see GreenBiz posting my latest blog, this one spotlighting my growing obsession with Green Swans. On which more anon.

Voting With My Feet For A People’s Vote

John Elkington · 23 March 2019 · 1 Comment

My hips and knees are complaining after a march that took us over three hours just to clear Park Lane, but Gaia and I had a wonderful time reading the placards and talking to people. The mood was just as wonderful as last time we did this – but the size of the demonstration seemed much bigger. We were still in Park Lane when Parliament Square was already crammed.

Asked them if I could shoot them in Hyde Park station
I spy, to the left …
Gaia
Alexa …
Sawing off their branch – and ours
Liked this one
Bring back, bring back …
The Economist’s cover last week
They do, too – and you can assemble them yourself
Very different technologies
It’s all about not-too-cross pollination
Restoring our faith in Donalds
I agree whole-heartedly
I always thought William the Conqueror was a nightmare – and then found he’s in the family tree, or vine. In the end, we’re all immigrants.
A fine Eton mess
It’s never too late to pull out – a message seen many times today
Loved the hair
My hat when I got home
  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 72
  • Go to page 73
  • Go to page 74
  • Go to page 75
  • Go to page 76
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 281
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

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.

Recent Comments

  • Jonathan Watkin on Reminder of Glencot Years
  • Robert Knowles on Reminder of Glencot Years
  • PATRICK DICK on Reminder of Glencot Years

Journal Archive

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

Copyright © 2025 John Elkington. All rights reserved. Log in