Volans contributes regular columns to CSRWire, chinadialogue, Director magazine in the UK, Brazil’s Época Negócios , Guardian Sustainable Business, Mandag Morgen based in Denmark and Nikkei Ecology in Japan as well as other media.

Below is a summary of articles, opinion pieces and commentary by Volans (most recent at the top)

  • Creative Destruction on Steroids (April 2011). The war on global warming will be a bloody battle, and whole industries will be wiped out and replaced by more planet-friendly alternatives before it is won, says John Elkington for The Guardian Sustainable Business. Read here
  • Physics of the Future (April 2011).  A new deep science programme at Cambridge University, funded by a high-flying financier, will hunt for technologies to protect the planet. John Elkington reflects on the launch for Chinadialogue. Read here
  • Splashing around in sustainability shallows? (March 2011). Just as the internet is eroding our attention spans, oceans of information may be diluting the corporate sustainability agenda, writes John Elkington for Chinadialogue. Read more here
  • Breaking the sustainability barrier (March 2011). Growth and jobs depend on getting tough on emissions targets, says John Elkington on CSRWire Talkback. Read more here
  • Stalking the Bigfoot Boomers (February 2011). Intergenerational equity issues will explode onto government and business agendas in the next few years, writes John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read the full article here
  • Aiming for a ‘Zero Economy’ Enables Transformative Change (February 2011). Zero-based targets aim for a long term change including becoming fossil fuel free, minimizing water intake and sending nothing to landfill. John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read more here
  • Sustainability and the Family Business (February 2011). “We now need to understand, engage and, no longer term, shape  the thinking of family business”. John Elkington blogs for CSRWire Talkback – read the post here.
  • A Guerra ao Carbono (February 2011) / Carbon War Room Fights World War III. Richard Branson, da Virgin, criou um bunker em Londres para servir de centro de comando na luta contra o aquecimento global. John Elkington for Época Negócios – read more here
  • Ambassadors From the Future (February 2011). Grab your passport – it’s time for another trip to One Planet London. John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read more here.
  • Uma China Sustentavel? (February 2011) / Can China Deliver Sustainability?. O primeiro-minístro Wen Jiabao promete um crescimento equilibrado, mas não será fácil para o país cumprir tal promessa. John Elkington for Época Negócios – read more here
  • Will the Banks Blow Green Bubbles? (February 2011). A new report Barclays and Accenture estimates that Europe needs to spend € 2.9 trillion. John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read more here
  • A Cobiça que faz bem (February 2011) / Lust, Marmite and Clean Technology. Novo relatório sobre tecnologias limpas destaca as empresas do setor que são mais admiradas por suas concorrentes. John Elkington for Época Negócios – read more here
  • Aiming for a ‘Zero Economy’ Enables Transformative Change (February 2011). Zero-based targets aim for a long term change including becoming fossil fuel free, minimizing water intake and sending nothing to landfill. John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read more here
  • A Velhice Sustentável (February 2011) / Will Robots Farm Tomorrow’s Elderly? . O envelhecimento da população não pressionara apenas o sistema de saúde e as aposentadorias. Ele vai demandar mudanças sociais. John Elkington for Época Negócios – read more here
  • Sustainability and the Family Business (February 2011). “We now need to understand, engage and, no longer term, shape  the thinking of family business” John Elkington blogs for CSRWire Talkback – read the post here.
  • Singapore – ‘You drop it, you break it, it’s finished’ (January 2011). In his new book, Hard Truth, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew warms that his country must adapt to climate change. John Elkington for the The Guardian Sustainable Business – read more here
  • Welcome to One Planet London for the One Planet Olympics (January 2011). At the 2012 Olympic Games let us showcase London as the sustainability capital of the world says John Elkington in The Guardian Sustainable Business – read the article here
  • Bitten by the Affluenza Bug (January 2011). The urge to possess latest products and gadgets is spreading fast, especially among those in the boardrooms. Not good at all for the planet, says John Elkington. Read the article for The Guardian Sustainable Business here
  • Welcome to One Planet London for the One Planet Olympics (January 2011). At the 2012 Olympic Games let us showcase London as the sustainability capital of the world says John Elkington. Read the article for The Guardian Sustainable Businesshere
  • Bitten by the Affluenza Bug (January 2011). The urge to possess latest products and gadgets is spreading fast, especially among those in the boardrooms. Not good at all for the planet, says John Elkington. Read the article for The Guardian Sustainable Business here
  • The story of deforestation (November 2010) in the Brazilian Amazon, by Volans Intern Rafael Morais Chiaravalloti. Read more in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
  • Socially responsible investment index launched in China (October 2010) - welcome news, says John Elkington, but it is naïve to believe it will power real change without stronger political action. Read article for chinadialogue in English here and in Chinese here
  • ‘Sustain – Business, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services: the interdependence service’ report by WBCSD (October 2010) features Volans’ The Biosphere Economy report by John Elkington and Alejandro Litovsky. Read the full report here (‘Here Comes the Biosphere Economy’ features on page 10-11)
  • Can China Deliver Sustainability? (October 2010) Can China’s ESG index deliver? John Elkington blogs for CSRWire Talkback: read the post here
  • Should sustainability sit under ‘marketing’? (September 2010) John Elkington reflects on why the concept of sustainability may be confusing for some people. Read more in MyCustomer.com here
  • Big Ideas: John Elkington on fighting to reserve the meaning of social entrepreneurship (September 2010) Read more on the need to keep the language from dilution here
  • A corrupção desmata (September 2010) / Spotlight The Shadow Economy. Poucos identificam com clareza a relação nefasta entre práticas como o suborno e a tentativa de erguer uma economia sustentável. John Elkington for Época Negócios, read more here
  • Grey Matters (September 2010): Ageing societies must harness the skills and experience of the “silver tsunami, to ease the strain on public resources. Read John Elkington‘ s article for chinadialogue in English here, and in Chinese here
  • Whatever happened to saving the planet? (September 2010) - extraordinary times bring forth extraordinary leaders and innovators, argues John Elkington, who is optimistic that we still have time to get climate change under control. Read more in Esquire Middle East magazine here: ESQ_Md East_Elkington_Save Planet
  • You don’t have to be a social entrepreneur to make change (September 2010) Pamela Hartigan on how the field has evolved and how the term ‘social entrepreneurship’ should be abandoned. Read more on Dowser here
  • Towards a transparent economy (September 2010): sustainability is higher up the corporate agenda than ever, but deeper forms of accountability are needed to achieve real change writes John Elkington for chinadialogue. Read article in English here, and in Chinese here.
  • A Economia da Biosfera (September 2010) / Here Comes The Biosphere Economy. Seu impacto será tão profundo quando o da Revolução Industrial. Desta vez, a economia trabalhará a favor da natureza. John Elkington for Época Negócios, read more here
  • Julie’s Bicycle’s Moving Arts Touring Reports Launched (August 2010) which includes a contribution by John Elkington on the growing demand for transparency. Read more about and download the reports here.
  • ‘Thrice As Good’ (July-August 2010) John Elkington talks through the challenges of real sustainabilitydespite the triple bottom line now being increasingly understood and adopted in an interview with The Smart Manager. Read the article here
  • A Voz das Empresas (July 2010) / Open Good, Closed Bad: o que se requer delas é que dialoguem nas mídias de maneira franca e honesta, em vez de buscar publicidade. John Elkington for Época Negócios, read more here
  • Biosphere Bookkeeping (June 2010): An economic transformation to rival the Industrial Revolution is on its way – and this time nature will be properly valued, predict John Elkington and Alejandro Litovsky. Read the article in Chinadialogue here
  • The unending war between transparency and stealth (June 2010): John Elkington was invited to submit an essay for Magnum Photos‘ new book ‘Storm’, by  Paulo Pellegrin: read John’s submission here. Also, see John’s portrait taken by Paulo at the Volans office, here
  • The Emergence of a Biosphere Economy (June 2010) An economic transformation to rival the Industrial Revolution is on its way – and this time nature will be properly valued, predict John Elkington andAlejandro Litovsky, as featured on Worldchanging.com. Read more here
  • Are there TIGERS in your tank? (June 2010): John Elkington blazes the way to a comprehensive approach he calls TIGERS designed to better inform the global push towards more sustainable forms of development. Read more here
  • Photographer Paulo Pellegrin takes Magnum’s Seasonal Fashion Magazine by “Storm” (June 2010) - John Elkington is featured amid dramatic portraits of key visionaries chosen by Pellegrin for their progressive and influential ideas about the environment and lifestyle—including Bruce Mau, founder of eco-design think tank “Massive Change,” outspoken fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, and postmodern anthropologist Mark Augé.  See more here
  • Talking Innovation Across the Atlantic, Innovatively (June 2010): Charmian Love was part of an RSA (Royal Society of Arts) discussion focused on maximizing the  scale of social enterprises and how to stimulate more cooperative,  transatlantic innovation. Read more here
  • HBS Case Commentary: When the CEO’s Personal Crusade Drives Decisions (June 2010):  Charmian Love provides her perspective in Harvard Business Review.  You can read more here
  • Here Comes the Biosphere Economy (May 2010): John Elkington talks TEEB in an blog for CSRWire Talkback: read the post here
  • Green Secrets to be shared with industry (May 2010): John Elkington comments in the FT on an initiative to promote environmental thinking in global manufacturing just announced. Read more here
  • Irresistible attraction (April 2010): Big businesses are being drawn more and more towards the possibilities for social innovation. John Elkington andCharmian Love consider where it all might lead. Read more here
  • A New Paradigm For Change (April 2010): John Elkington distils his current thinking on the social innovation challenge, focusing on the need for simultaneous changes in our mindsets, behaviours, cultures and prevailing paradigm for McKinsey & Co’s What Matters site. Read the article here
  • Creative Destruction on the Frontiers of Clean Tech (March 2010): Does the Bloom Box Signal the Future of Cleantech? John Elkington wonders whether the innovation engine is finally cranking up after visiting the Clean Tech Forum in San Francisco. Read his blog on CSRwire Talkback here
  • Is CSR dead? (September 2009): mycustomer.com: John Elkington talks about CSR in a recession – and why it’s too early to write its obituary. Read posthere
  • International Democracy Day: work to do (September 2009) openDemocracy.net: Halina Ward andJohn Elkington discuss the dangers posed to democracy by climate change. Read post here
  • New International Yearbook Highlights Global Challenges, Showcases Business Practice (September 2009): CSR-News.net: The inaugural issue of the Global Compact International Yearbook features a foreword by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and includes an essay by a host of international thought leaders and experts, including John Elkington. Read more here
  • The Purpose-Driven Corporatist (September 2009): John Elkington describes these ’hybrid individuals’ in Green Options blog, Ecopreneurist. Read posthere
  • Pizza Hut needs to do more than add a side of salad (August 2009): A letter by Alejandro Litovsky suggests the company has the opportunity to bring healthier food to its customers. Read article here
  • When should a chief executive confront hostile critics publicly? (Summer 2009): John Elkingtoncomments on David Vasella’s response to animal rights activists who attacked both him and his company. Read article here
  • Serious About Reporting (June 2009): Ethical Corporation Magazine. “I am no longer as excited with reporting as I was 20 years ago” - John Elkington. Read article here