Journal

A reminder, via a Greenpeace tweet this morning, about the incredible, potentially unstoppable power of the right sort of incrementalism. Here’s the story of a man who rebuilt a forest.

When I introduce audiences to our Breakthrough Compass (see below), my natural inclination is to encourage them to lean into the Breakthrough innovation space, top right.

But any implied disparaging of the right sort of incrementalism is unintentional. I always say this is where we all start. It’s the mulch from which the seeds of the new often spring.

Am thrilled with the filmed interview of Julia (Hailes) and I that Chris Wash and the SustainAbility team have done for the 30th anniversary celebrations.

The conversations between Julia and I, between Julia and SustainAbility CEO Rob Cameron, and between SustainAbility Director Denise Delaney and I can be found here. [Only the first is available in 2024, the one between Julia and I. But we are trying to track down the others from the archive.]

Filmed in the front room of the Volans offices in Bloomsbury Place, they are an extraordinary reminder of the role we all played in the early days of the sustainability movement and agenda.

Flew BA to Porto, from Gatwick, on 5 November – before fireworks got out of hand. Met at airport by Gualter Chrisóstomo of CEiiA, who I know through our work for the UN Global Compact on Project Breakthrough.

Wonderful supper of salt cod (bacalhau) in every conceivable form alongside the River Douro, then a walk across the bridge to the other side.

Next day, off to CEiiA, where I was taken around by Gualter and Carlos Almeida. Introduced to teams working on things like submersible platforms, fire-spotting drones, mobility-as-a-service and satellite remote sensing. And met the Deputy Minister for Environment, José Mendes.

Then flew to Lisbon for the Web Summit, for me kicking off with a very interesting dinner at the Palacio Nacional.

My session at the Summit had the title: “The planet is under threat. Does tech have the answer?” With Vann Newark II of The Atlantic in the chair, my co-panellists were Constantijn van Orange of StartupDelta, Jyoti Kirit Parikh of India’s Integrated Research and Action for Development, and Kathleen van Brempt of the European Parliament.

An intriguing group, but a squeezed session, billed as invitation-only (which put a fair number of people I talked to later off coming) and with a great deal of background noise. But perhaps that’s a suitable metaphor for the world-at-large at the moment?

Among interesting conversations later in the day was one with Christoph Gebald of Climeworks, whose business it is to capture carbon dioxide from the air. Fascinating venture.

The next morning, I had breakfast with Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of one of my early influences, Commander Jacques Cousteau. She is an explorer, film-maker and water activist. Releated issues are very live in my mind at the moment thanks to David Attenborough’s extraordinary new series, Blue Planet II.

Then we were joined by her colleague at Good Impact, David Diallo, who we have known for quite some time. Wish all breakfasts could be something like that.

One memory that came to mind while we were talking was a ceremony we conducted in all seriousness when I was at prep school. Someone’s hamster had died and we decided to organise out version of a Viking sea burial.

A piece of cork was duly extracted from one of the life-rafts that sat by the river that ran through the Glencot School ground. Then the hamster was laid in state, surrounded by small blue plastic aqualung divers that could be found at the time in certain cereal packets. And off into the afternoon he/she/it went.

Then on to a session with Manuel Heitor, Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, alongside Rich(and) Johnson of Volans and Carlos Almeida of CEiiA. Amazing how deep the links are between our two countries, though it hasn’t always been plain sailing. Came away determined to explore ways of bridging between what we’re doing on Project Breakthrough and what Portugal is doing in a growing range of sectors.

Once back to London, highlights included final interviews for the new Executive Director slot at Volans and, yesterday, a lunch in Barnes with Clément Huret of the Social Stock Exchange and his partner Julie, both from France. Another timely reminder of how lucky London (if not the rest of this country) is to be tucked in so close to the rest of Europe – and how inane and self-destructive the continuing BREXIT chaos is.

Another whistlestop week, ahead of flying to Oporto tomorrow – and then on to Lisbon on Monday. Interviews continue for the new Volans Executive Director, with some excellent candidates.

Meanwhile, the normal rhythm continues, as with a Social Stock Exchange Admissions Panel session on Tuesday afternoon at the We Work building at 1 Primrose Street, Spitalfields.

But a strong sense of change in the air, everywhere.

Among many other things, we began work this week on a new project for Novartis. On Wednesday alone, I spoke in the morning at an International Council for Mining & Minerals (ICMM) event in Westminster, at One George Street; then raced back to the office to greet and talk to a Japanese study tour, interested in learning lessons from the London Olympics for Tokyo’s impending Games; had my second session with Emily Cavendish in Harley Street; then went across to 125 Finsbury Pavement to launch the latest version of the Future-Fit Foundation‘s business benchmark.

Then on to dinner at L’Anima Café with an interesting group, including the three speakers from the panel I chaired: Chris Davis from The Body Shop, Sue Almond from Grant Thornton; and Susanne Stormer from Novo Nordisk.

As I headed home, I discovered I had left my iPhone at the Future Fit event, having been asked to do a short filmed interview – and left it where I thought it wouldn’t interfere with the mike. Third time I have abandoned it so far this year, though the ‘Find My iPhone’ service is astoundingly helpful. Went across to retrieve it on Thursday morning.

With Elaine still away with Hania in Bordeaux, Thursday evening was a dinner at Sea Containers on the south bank, hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Love how they think. Great conversation with their President, Fred Krupp, overlooking the Thames. Meanwhile, Gayle Olivier, a relatively new recruit to the Volans team, took my place at a Unilever event, just across the river.

Other projects under way at the moment include a 3-city initiative with Innovate UK, which is focusing on Newcastle, Nottingham and London. More on that anon.

Today’s Sunday Times runs a story about BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham, whose Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch I switch on whenever I can. He is calling on the website Etsy to ban sellers from trading seahorses in such trinkets as paperweights, pendants and photo frames. The newspaper notes easy’s declared commitment to create a “sustainable future”.

Have long loved seahorses, as indicated by my purchase of an Royal College of Art student’s mega-print over a decade ago. It now seems to have gone AWOL from the office, but lives on in photographs – including one done for a Magnum book many moons ago by photographer Paolo Pellegrin.

Note to self: must find out more about Project Seahorse.

At the same time, wildlife has been in the air this week. Among other things, I attended the latest session of the WWF Council of Ambassadors, held in 66 Lincoln Inn’s Fields. Apparently, this was once the equivalent of 10 Downing Street.

Great to see one slide showing the Daily Mirror front page from 1961 which helped launch me on my environmental career.