John Elkington

Founding Partner & Director of Volans, also Co-founder of SustainAbility (1987) John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. In 2004, BusinessWeek described him as “a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades.” In 2008, The Evening Standard named John among the ‘1000 Most Influential People’ in London, describing him as “a true green business guru,” and as “an evangelist for corporate social and environmental responsibility long before it was fashionable.”

Volans, launched in April 2008, aims to find, explore, advise on and build innovative scalable solutions to the great global divides that overshadow the future. Volans is carrying forward John’s work with The Skoll Foundation on a $1 million, 3-year field-building programme in relation to social entrepreneurship. Directly linked to this work, John’s latest book is on entrepreneurial solutions—particularly on the work of leading social and environmental entrepreneurs. Co-authored with Pamela Hartigan, previous Managing Director of The Schwab Foundation, now Partner of Volans, The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World, was published by Harvard Business School Press on 5 February 2008.

Established in 1987, SustainAbility advises clients on the risks and opportunities associated with corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Working at the interface between market forces and societal expectations, SustainAbility seeks solutions to social and environmental challenges that deliver long term value. With offices in London, Zurich, New York and Washington, DC and team members representing more than ten nationalities, SustainAbility works with leading companies, NGOs and influencers around the world. Clients include ABN Amro, BP, Coca-Cola, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, Nike, Norwich Union, Shell, Swiss Re, Unilever and Wal-Mart. A global network of experts and partners helps SustainAbility to track emerging agendas, evaluate the market implications and engage business and its main stakeholders worldwide.

Over time, John has authored or co-authored 17 books, including 1988’s million-selling Green Consumer Guide and Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business (1997), has written hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines and journal and has written or co-written some 40 published reports.

In terms of other hats, John is a Visiting Professor at the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. He chairs The Environment Foundation and the Aflatoun Impact and Policy Analysis Steering Group and is an Honorary Fellow of The Hub and also the Institute of Green Professionals. John is also a member of strategic advisory boards for, among others: 2degrees; the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes; EcoVadis; Gaia Energy; the Global Reporting Initiative, Greenopolis.com; Instituto Ethos; Physic Ventures; Polecat UK and a Cleantech Fund developed by Zouk Ventures. John is also a Senior Advisor to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, a member of the WWF Council of Ambassadors, a member of the Evian Group Brain Trust and Council of Global Thought Leaders, the Global Leaders Academy; the Tomorrow’s Global Company Inquiry Team; the Cambridge Research Advisory Group for the University of Cambridge Programme for Industry (CPI); and the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme (UNGCCP) International Advisory Council. John has recently joined the newly formed Cleantech Group LLC’s Cleantech Innovation Council. John was a Faculty member of the World Economic Forum from 2002-2008.

Personal website: www.johnelkington.com

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