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About John Elkington

John Elkington is founder and chief entrepreneur at SustainAbility. He blogs at www.johnelkington.com.

Articles by John Elkington

Tuesday 5th January

Can consumers save our climate?

John Elkington, 5 January 2010

After Copenhagen, can market forces – and consumers in particular – help address global warming? In an article originally published on chinadialogue.net , John Elkington looks at the promises and pitfalls of “green” consumption

Thursday 17th December

Copenhagen: climate countdown

Sue Branford, Ian Christie, Andrew Dobson, John Elkington, Øyvind Paasche, and Oliver Tickell, 17 December 2009

The United Nations climate-change summit is a vital moment in the world’s effort to avert catastrophe. openDemocracy authors reflect on what needs to happen and how much Copenhagen can achieve.

Tuesday 15th September

International Democracy Day: work to do

Halina Ward and John Elkington, 15 September 2009

The global community must recognise the dangers climate change poses to democracy

Friday 17th October

Finance, politics, climate: three crises in one

Mark Lee and John Elkington, 17 October 2008

Three crises - financial, democratic and climatic - are connected. We must see how, and act

Thursday 24th April

Can democracy save the planet?

John Lotherington and John Elkington, 24 April 2008

..or does it get in the way? The search for new ground on a question of global relevance

Thursday 31st January

Davos 2008: ends and beginnings

John Elkington, 31 January 2008

This year's World Economic Forum summit: the victory-in-defeat of the anti-globalisation movement?

Monday 24th September

Anita Roddick: outsider rules

John Elkington, 24 September 2007

How to be radical, green, human - and a business success

Tuesday 21st August

India’s third liberation

John Elkington, 21 August 2007

India won freedom and has embraced globalisation, but the next mountain is even higher

Wednesday 11th April

Brundtland and sustainability: history's balance-sheet

John Elkington, 11 April 2007

A shaping idea of our time is twenty years old. John Elkington tracks the epic journey of "sustainable development", assesses its record, and looks forward.

Friday 2nd February

Climate change's right and wrong fixes

John Elkington and Geoff Lye, 2 February 2007

The publication of a major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, following the Bush administration admission of the issue's importance, marks a new phase in public debate. There are effective technological response to global warming, argue John Elkington & Geoff Lye, but they must be true and long-term.

Thursday 2nd November

After Stern: let's get technical

John Elkington, 2 November 2006

Environmentalists must overcome their aversion to technical fixes to global warming, says John Elkington.

Monday 6th September

Globalisation's reality check

John Elkington, 6 September 2004

The world’s targets for sustainable development, codified in the Millennium Development Goals, can only be met by concerted action from governments, business and civil society. But if proposals for a “global covenant” have meaning, it is time for companies to get real, says John Elkington.

Thursday 5th February

'It's the system, stupid!'

John Elkington, 5 February 2004

A third visit to the World Economic Forum left the sustainability campaigner John Elkington enthusiastic about a gathering force which can connect pro- and anti-globalisers: social entrepreneurs.

Tuesday 19th August

Biotechnology: the case for sustainability

John Elkington, 19 August 2003

Many environmentalists see biotechnology solely in terms of threat and danger. This is short-sighted, says John Elkington of SustainAbility. The challenges of the 21st century – climate change, poverty, disease, demography – make biotechnology a potentially valuable tool. The question is: can it be used in ways that sustain democracy and public trust?

Thursday 16th January