Seminar, 1 December 2009: Alan Knight, OBE

Shops, lifestyle and the planet: Will Corporate Social Responsibility deliver a one planet low carbon world?

Part of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy’s 2009-2010 Seminar Series at the University of Leeds.

Speaker: Prof Alan Knight, OBE, founder of Single Planet Living
Chair: Professor Andy Gouldson, Director, Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy
Time: 5-6 pm, Tuesday 1st December 2009
Venue: University of Leeds.

Abstract:

Alan Knight gave his own insights into how fast moving consumer products and global brands and global sustainable development are impossible bed fellows. The reason for this is far more complex old cliched "corporate's don't care" but a fundamental weakness in the tone of voice narrative that underpins both CSR and sustainable development. A fresher, product and lifestyle centric narrative and vision is needed before we can unlock the dangerous inertia and distraction that the CSR discipline is creating.

The speaker:

Alan has nearly 20 years’ experience of working with global and national organisations advising them at board level on global sustainable development issues which affect business, society and individuals. He is the independent advisor to the Virgin Group, ensuring a single co-ordinated approach to Sustainable Development. He also runs the Virgin Earth Challenge (a US$25 million prize for carbon sequestration), The Virgin Rainforest Challenge and its HIV programme. He has worked with clients as diverse as Body Shop, Coca-Cola, Prudential and Calgary City. He serves on the UK’s Sustainable Development Commission, is a senior associate of the Cambridge University Programme for Sustainability Leadership for Industry, is a fellow of WWF UK, a former director of the Tropical Forest Trust and a current director of the Forest Stewardship Council. He was awarded the OBE in June 1998 for Services to the Environment and in 2005 the US-based Rainforest Alliance gave him a lifelong award for his contribution to finding solutions to rainforest destruction caused by the timber industry.