Ed Gillespie (sustainability professional)

Edward Roger Gillespie
Born May 1972
Norfolk
Occupation sustainability consultant
Known for Co-Founded wearefuterra.com, Director of Greenpeace UK
Notable work wearefuterra.com

Ed Gillespie is a British environmental entrepreneur and author. His focus is on sustainability and innovation. He co-founded Futerra, one of the first specialist sustainability communications agencies in 2001 with Solitaire Townsend.[1][2]

Early life and education

He grew up in Norfolk, attending Norwich School. Afterwards he was a volunteer for Project Trust as a teacher in Jamaica. He completed an MSc in marine biology at the University of Wales and continued in this discipline by undertaking a MSc in Marine Resource Development and Protection at Heriot-Watt University.

After this his focus shifted to business as he enrolled in a Professional Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Middlesex University, a course run by sustainable development charity Forum for the Future.[3] While there he met Townsend.

Career

Ed started his professional career as an Environmental Development Manager at London Transport. Before this he had worked for the Survival Natural History Film Unit and as a marine biologist in Australia, New Caledonia and Orkney.

In 2001, he co-founded Futerra Sustainability Communications with Solitaire Townsend and their mission is to make sustainable development so desirable it becomes normal.

In 2007/8, he traveled around the world without flying, and his passion for slow travel led him to invest in, and become Chairman of, European Rail Business Loco2.[4] His interest in sustainable development is further shown by his service as a non-executive Director for Zero Carbon Food,[5] a London Sustainable Development Commissioner,[6] Director of carbon emissions campaigning organisation Sandbag [7] and an investor in Foodtrade.[8]

Publications and public speaking

Ed is a regular contributor to The Guardian, which began back in 2007 with his Slow Traveller blog.[9] This developed into commentary on topics around sustainable business, climate change and environmental communications.[2]

In June 2014, Wild Things Publishing published Ed's first book, Only Planet.[10] The book is based on his 2007/8 trip.

Gillespie is regularly invited to lecture around the world to audiences, including the UN, national governments, multinational corporations and citizen organizations. Perhaps most notably, Ed spoke at a TEDX event in 2010 about the importance of embedding sustainability into business strategy in a talk titled 'Sustainability, the reinvention of progress'.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Ed Gillespie - Keynote, Public, After Dinner, Event & Guest Speaker". London Speaker Bureau. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  2. 1 2 "Ed Gillespie". The Guardian. 2009-01-04. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  3. ↑ "Leadership for Sustainable Development". Forum for the Future. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  4. ↑ "team". Loco2. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  5. ↑ "The Team | Zero Carbon FoodZero Carbon Food". Zerocarbonfood.co.uk. 2014-01-24. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  6. ↑ "Ed Gillespie". Londonsdc.org. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Who we are". Sandbag. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  8. ↑ "ed gillespie". FoodTrade. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  9. ↑ "Slow Traveller | From the Observer". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  10. ↑ "Only Planet". Only Planet. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  11. ↑ "Responsible Marketing". VLearn.org. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
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