Four trajectories flagged in Volans report #1, The Phoenix Economy
Since I began work in 1974, I have been author of co-author of some 50 published reports, which are listed below.
Our first report at Volans was The Phoenix Economy: 50 Pioneers in the Business of Social Innovation. Among other things, this contrasted the long-established oscillation between ‘Bull’ and ‘Bear’ markets with the emerging oscillation between ‘Dragon’ (e.g. China’s environment-intensive development) and ‘Phoenix’ (e.g. well targeted government programs designed to drive sustainability-oriented creative destruction) economies.
The latest Volans report that I primarily authored is Breakthrough: Business Leaders, Market Revolutions. I was also part of the team that produced Investing in Breakthrough: Corporate Venture Capital, launched in the first half of 2014.
One of the key diagrams in the Breakthrough report is shown below, plotting the evolution of our agenda, and indicating the levels of business engaged at each successive stage.
My first published report, co-authored with John Roberts and Roger McGlynn, appeared in 1976. At the time, we were focusing on a range of issues like improving the pedestrian’s environment and the provision of urban air quality and waste services. The diversity of subjects on which ( and sundry teams have produced reports in subsequent years is fairly mind-boggling.
2014
Investing in Breakthrough: Corporate Venture Capital
Volans, with Global Corporate Venturing, The Social Investment Business and the MacArthur Foundation. ISBN 978-0-9562166-3-2
2013
Breakthrough: Business Leaders, Market Revolutions
Volans. ISBN 978-0-9562166-2-5
2011
The Future Quotient: 50 Stars in Seriously Long-Term Innovation
Volans, with JWT. ISBN 978-0-9562166-1-8
2010
The Transparent Economy: Six Tigers that Stalk the Global Recovery – and How to Tame Them
Volans, with the Global Reporting Initiative, Dow Chemical Company, Novo Nordisk and SAP. ISBN 978-90-8866-036-8
The Biosphere Economy: Natural Limits Can Spur Creativity, Innovation and Growth
Volans, with Tellus Mater and B4E. ISBN 978-0-9562166-1-8
2009
The Phoenix Economy: 50 Pioneers in the Business of Social Innovation
Volans, with EDB, Net Impact, the Skoll Foundation, SustainAbility and UNEP. ISBN 978-0-9562166-0-1
2008
The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers
SustainAbility, with the Skoll Foundation. ISBN 978-1-903168-22-6
2007
Growing Opportunity: Entrepreneurial Solutions to Insoluble Problems
SustainAbility, with the Skoll Foundation, Allianz and DuPont.
Raising Our Game: Can We Sustain Globalization?
SustainAbility, with Ford, Novo Nordisk, Shell, the Skoll Foundation and Vodafone. ISBN to come
2006
Tomorrow’s Value: The Global Reporters 2006 Survey of Corporate Sustainability Reporting
SustainAbility. ISBN to come
[GAP, TO BE COMPLETED]
2004
Risk & Opportunity: Best Practice in Non-Financial Reporting
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Standard & Poor’s. ISBN 1-903168-12-0
2003
The 21st Century NGO: In the Market for Change
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Global Compact, the International Finance Corporation and others. ISBN 1903168082
2002
Trust Us: The Global Reporters 2002 Survey of Corporate Sustainability Reporting
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 1903168066
Good News & Bad: The Media, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development
SustainAbility with Ketchum and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 190316804X
2001
Buried Treasure: Uncovering the Business Case for Corporate Sustainable Development
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 1903168023
Driving Sustainability: Can the Auto Sector Deliver Sustainable Mobility?
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 1903168031
2000
The Global Reporters: The First International Benchmark Survey of Corporate Sustainability Reporting
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 1903168015
Life & Science: Accountability, Transparency, Citizenship and Governance in the Life Sciences Sector
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 1903168007
1999
The Oil Sector Report: A Review of Environmental Disclosure in the Oil Industry
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190494
The Internet Reporting Report: “The network economy is founded on technology, but it can only be built on relationships. It starts with chips and ends with trust”
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190451
The Social Reporting Report
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), sponsored by Royal Dutch/Shell Group. ISBN 0952190427
1998
The CEO Agenda: Can Business Leaders Satisfy the Triple Bottom Line?
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190478
The Non-Reporting Report
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190486
1997
Strange Attractor: The Business-ENGO Partnership
A Strategic Review of BP’s Relationships with Environmental NGOs, SustainAbility for BP
The 1997 Benchmark Survey: Third International Progress Report on Company Environmental Reporting
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 095219046X
1996
Engaging Stakeholders: The Case Studies
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190443
Engaging Stakeholders: The Benchmark Survey
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 0952190435
1995
Who Needs It? Market Implications of Sustainable Lifestyles
SustainAbility with Dow Chemical. ISBN 0952190419
1994
Company Environmental Reporting: A Measure of the Progress of Business and Industry towards Sustainable Development
SustainAbility with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP IE Technical Report 24
1993
Coming Clean: Corporate Environmental Reporting – Opening Up for Sustainable Development
SustainAbility with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International (DTTI) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). ISBN 0942640039
The LCA Sourcebook: A European Business Guide to Life-Cycle Assessment
SustainAbility with the Society for the Promotion of LCA Development (SPOLD) and Business in the Environment (BiE). ISBN 0952190400
1990
Automotive Polymers and the Environment: Issues and Views in Europe
SustainAbility with Dow Plastics
The Green Wave: A Report on the 1990 GreenWorld Survey
SustainAbility sponsored by British Gas, London
1989
Cleaning Up: US Waste Management Technology and Third World Development
With Jonathan Shopley, for the World Resources Institute (WRI), Washington, DC. ISBN 0915825287
1988
The Shrinking Planet: US Information Technology and Sustainable Development
With Jonathan Shopley, for the World Resources Institute (WRI), Washington, DC. ISBN 0915825201
1987
Thailand Natural Resources Profile: Is the Resource Base for Thailand’s Development Sustainable?
Co-editor with Dr Dhira Phantumvanit, for the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), the National Environment Board, the Department of Technical and Economic Co-operation and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
1986
Double Dividends? US Biotechnology and Third World Development
For the World Resources Institute (WRI), Washington, DC. ISBN 0915825163
1986
Nature Conservation Guidelines for Onshore Oil and Gas Development
John Elkington Associates for Nature Conservancy Council and BP. ISBN 0861393465
1985
Bio-Japan: The Emerging Japanese Challenge in Biotechnology
John Elkington, Oyez Scientific & Technical Services, London. ISBN 0907822525
1983
The Conservation and Development Programme for the UK: A response to the World Conservation Strategy
Kogan Page, London. ISBN 085038768X.
Cleaner Technologies: Making Pollution Prevention Pay
Oyez Scientific & Technical Services, London
1981
Pollution 1990: The Environmental Implications of Britain’s Industrial Structure and Technologies
Environmental Data Services (ENDS), London, for the Department of the Environment. ISBN 0907673007
1980
Environmental Impact Assessment
Oyez Publishing, London. ISBN 0851205488
1978
Europe 1990: Patterns of Environmental Protection and Planning
John Elkington and John Roberts, for Hudson Research Europe, Paris
1976
The Pedestrian: Planning and Research
John Elkington, Roger McGlynn and John Roberts, Transport and Environment Studies (TEST), London. ISBN 090554501X