Alan Tate – Director Cambiar; ChangeBusiness

Walkley-award winner Alan Tate earned a high reputation at the Sydney Morning Herald, reporting on environmental issues. In the early 90's he decided to move to the electronic media and became ABC TV News' environment reporter. He has worked for the 7:30 Report and Lateline as well, covering the major national and international environmental stories of the last decade. He covered the first Earth Summit in Rio and has recently returned from covering the second in New York.

Alan works with companies to better understand how environmental and social changes are affecting their operating context, and to seek opportunities to create competitive advantage and business value by adjusting to those changes. Cambiar operates in the unpredictable territory between non-government organisations’ activism and corporate rationalism. Cambiar acts as a trusted advisor, developing clients’ understanding of environmental and social issues, building their credibility in addressing them, and assisting with positioning to ensure full advantage of their actions.

The Team with Advisory Board members Molly Olsen and Alan Tate

at the dinner for the 2005 Business Leaders Forum

on Sustainable Development.

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Andrew Downing, President of The Institution of Engineers Australia 2005/06

Prof Andrew Downing was elected National President of Engineers Australia in November 2004. He is a biomedical engineer, the Dean and Foundation Professor of Engineering at Adelaide's Flinders University. As National President for Australia’s peak engineering association, Professor Downing is focusing on promoting the role of the engineering profession in advising on national planning and growth, sustainable development and development aid. Professor Downing is a strong advocate for the professional and personal development of young engineers, having introduced successful workplace experience programs within an Innovation and Enterprise degree in engineering at Flinders University.

Andrew has previously held a number of positions in Engineers Australia including an active role in the accreditation of engineering courses in Australia, and has provided guidance on accreditation matters during visits to six of the ASEAN countries. As Foundation Professor at Flinders University, Professor Downing’s research interests are in biomedical engineering, with particular focus on rehabilitation engineering, technology for older people, and developing assistive devices for persons with disabilities.

Mike and Cheryl with Advisory Board member Andrew Downing.

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Barry Grear, President Elect of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations

Barry is an Electrical Engineer with a long experience in Government Executive positions covering many appointments related to the built environment. As a past National President of Engineers Australia he has had extensive experience in Professional engineering requirements for graduates and practicing engineers. Barry was the inaugural Chair of the APEC Engineer Coordinating Committee and is the current Chair of the Australian Monitoring Committee for APEC and EMF.

Barry has been active in the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) and the Federation of Engineering Institutions of South East Asia and the Pacific (FEISEAP) for more than a decade. Following active involvement in three Standing Committees, at the General Assembly of WFEO in 1999 Barry was elected as a National Member on the Executive Committee, in 2001 was elected as a WFEO Vice President, and in Novermber 2006 Barry was elected as the President Elect of WFEO.
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Dr Brendan Mackey, Chair of the Earth Charter International Education Advisory Committee

Brendan has a PhD in Plant Ecology from the Australian National University. He has worked as a research scientist with the CSIRO and the Canadian Forest Service. He is currently serving as Chair of the Earth Charter International Education Advisory Committee, and is Project Leader (Ecosystem Vulnerability to Change) in the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting.

The main theme of Brendan’s research is Ecological Integrity. A major focus of his research involves investigations into the significance of landscape ecosystems and landscape-scale processes in maintaining globally-scaled life support systems, especially the carbon and water cycles. Of particular interest is the impact of land use activity on the functioning of these ecological systems. Also, we still only have a poor understanding of the roles of genetic diversity and natural selection in the continued functioning of ecological systems, and the consequences of replacing these natural processes with human engineered management systems. Current research projects include the development of landscape-wide, temporally dynamic, multi-agent based, simulation models of carbon and water fluxes.

Brendan is involved with a number of international academic, professional and outreach activities, including the Associate Editor for Environmental Conservation, an international journal of environmental science published by Cambridge University Press; a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL); an inaugural member of Catholic Earthcare Australia, the environmental advisory body of the Bishops' Committee for Justice, Development, Ecology and Peace; and Chair of the Expert Scientific Committee advising the State Government of Queensland on conservation planning in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.

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Brian Walker, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

Brian is currently working on a research project to investigate a proposed national collaborative 3 year pilot project to develop a measurement program for modelling regional and national sustainable development with the CSIRO. To date, Brian has authored 1 publication, edited 7 books and has 135 published papers and edited book chapters.

From 1985 to 1999 Brian was the Chief of the Division of Wildlife and Ecology, CSIRO, Australia after spending 10 years as Professor of the Department of Botany, and Director, Centre for Resource Ecology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Brian was chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee of the IGBP core project on Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystem from 1990-1997 and chairman of the Board, Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, Swedish Academy of Sciences from 1999-2002. Currently Brian works part-time as a research scientist for CSIRO and as the program director and chair of the Board of Members of Resilience Alliance.

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Caroline Bayliss, RMIT Global Sustainability

Caroline is GS@RMIT’s Deputy Director and works on corporate and commercial initatives. Caroline’s responsibilities include managing collaborative and dynamic relationships with GS@RMIT Founding Partners; coordinating events for Founding Partners and special projects; and developing projects and partnerships with the business community. With Degrees in Arts and Law from Monash University, Caroline has worked as a solicitor in private practice and a corporate solicitor.

Before joining GS@RMIT, Caroline worked as Corporate Affairs Manager at Philip Morris Limited, where her duties included government and stakeholder relations, internal communication and involvement in program approval processes. Central to her role were issues of corporate, social and environmental responsibility.

Charlie, Rob Coombs, Caroline Bayliss, Cheryl and Mike at the

National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development.

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Prof. Dexter Dunphy – Co-author Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability (2003)

A professor of business, Dexter grew up in a family of dedicated conservationists, spending many of his holidays in the bush. He became a primary school teacher before moving to Harvard to study sociology and became an Associate Professor at Harvard University. Today he is a Professor at the School of Business Management at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS), and is a consultant to some of Australia's leading businesses. Dexter has worked with Philip Sutton on the publication Sustainability: The Corporate Challenge of the 21st Century, and has recently released Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability with Andrew Griffiths and Suzanne Benn, both of UTS.
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Professor Frank Fenner, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Prime Ministers Prize for Science 2002

Born 21 December 1914. Educated University of Adelaide (MBBS 1938, MD 1942) and University of Sydney (DTM 1940). MBE (Military) 1944, CMG 1976, AC 1989. Served in Egypt and New Guinea as an officer of the Australian Army Medical Corps 1940-46. Haley Research Fellow, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research 1946-48, Rockefeller Travelling Fellow 1948-49, Professor of Microbiology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University 1949-67, Director of the School 1967-73, Director, Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University 1973-79.

David Syme Research Prize 1949, Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1954, Fellow, Royal Society 1958, Walter Burfitt Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1959, Mueller Medal 1964, Matthew Flinders Medal 1967, Britannica Australia Award for Medicine 1967, Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences 1977, ANZAAS Medal 1980, ANZAC Peace Prize, 1980, Florey Lecture, Royal Society 1983, Burnet Lecture, Australian Academy of Science, 1985, WHO Medal 1988, Japan Prize 1988, Copley Medal (Royal Society) 1995, Senior Australian Achiever of the Year 1999, Albert Einstein World Award for Science 2000, Clunies Ross Lifetime Contribution Award 2002, Prime Ministers Prize for Science 2002.

President, Australian Society for Microbiology 1964-65, Chairman, Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication, World Health Organization 1977-80, Chairman, Committee on Orthopoxvirus Infections, World Health Organization 1981-85. Since 1994 the Frank Fenner Medal has been awarded for the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted each year in the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University.

Moss Cass, Hunter Lovins, Brendan Mackey and Frank Fenner at the

dinner for the opening of the Australian Sustainability Initiative.

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Fiona Wain, CEO Environment Business Australia

Fiona has been the CEO of EBA since early 1999 and has been a tireless and highly effective negotiator and lobbyist on behalf of the industry. Some of the tangible results of this work include the Environment Industry Action Agenda, partnership in the Sydney Olympics Business Club Australia, a new focus by Austrade on the industry with the appointment of a dedicated specialist, publication of the Australian Environment Industry Directory, a significant increase in the association's membership base, strong working alliances with Environment Australia and the Department of Industry Science and Resources and a broadening of the horizons for the Association - for example we are now working more closely with the finance, legal, planning and insurance sectors - some of the key drivers that help to shape the marketplace for the environment industry.

In 2000 Fiona played a pivotal role in producing a national study for the Federal Government on strategies to develop the full commercial potential of the environment industry in domestic and export markets. The recommendations in this report are being developed under the Environment Industry Action Agenda.

Working closely with Environment Australia and the Department of Industry Science and Resources, Austrade - especially in relation to the Business Club Australia - has demonstrated the need for strong alliances at national and state levels. Fiona is committed to bringing together a number of industry players - associations, companies and organisations - to seek a more cohesive policy input from the industry and to develop a stronger Australian environment industry marketing strategy.

In addition to vision and perseverance, Fiona brings extensive international experience to the industry having worked in England, France and Canada in the fast-paced world of sports marketing. With the very little spare time that EMIAA activities allow, Fiona still trains for cross-country, or endurance marathons.

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Greg Bourne, CEO WWF-Australia

Greg Bourne studied chemistry at the University of Western Australia under a scholarship from BP Refinery, Kwinana. His Exploration activities saw him living and working in the United Kingdom, America, Canada, Ireland, Brazil, China and Australia.
Seconded to the Prime Minister's Policy Unit at numbern 10 Downing Street in 1988, he was the Special Adviser on Energy and Transport, and returned to BP in January 1990 to take up the position of Chief Executive, BP Marine, London. He returned to Australia in October 1992 as President and General Manager - Exploration and Gas, BP Developments Australia Ltd., with responsibility for BP Exploration's activities in Australia and Papua New Guinea. After working overseas as Director BP Scotland and then Regional Director - Latin America, based in Caracas; he returned to Australia in January 1999 to become Regional President - BP Australasia the position from which he retired from BP in September 2003.

Greg took up his current position as CEO WWF-Australia in October 2004. Greg is also Chair of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria and a Member of the CSIRO Sector Advisory Council to the Natural Resource Management and Environment Sector. He was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the environment.

Greg Bourne with the invited delegates to the Hawke Centre Forum,

facilitated by Charlie Hargroves (tall one at the back) and Nick Palousis

(short one at the front).

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Hunter Lovins, President and Co-Chair, Natural Capitalism Group

Co-author of ‘Natural Capitalism’ and ’Factor 4’, Hunter is trained as a lawyer, Hunter has managed international non-profits, created several corporations, and is in great demand as a speaker and consultant. A member of the California Bar, she helped establish and was for six years Assistant Director of the California Conservation Project (Tree People), an innovative urban forestry and environmental education group. She served as Policy Advisor for Friends of the Earth, Named Henry R. Luce Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College, Hunter has also taught at dozens of other universities.

Until 2002, when she left to join global academy, she was RMI's CEO for Strategy. She serves as a Commissioner in the State of the World Forum's Commission on Globalization. She was also named one of four people from North America to serve as a delegate to the United Nations Prep conference for Europe and North America for the Earth Summit conference.

Molly Harris Olsen and Hunter Lovins (on tour with TNEP) at the 2005

National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development.

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Jim McKnoulty is Chairman of Conics Limited

Jim McKnoulty is Chairman of Conics Limited, a group of consultancies assisting industry and government to meet the challenges of growth management throughout Eastern Australia. Jim specialises in creative partnerships between the development industry and local authorities to produce more sustainable developments which are economically viable and socially cohesive. He offers high level political and strategic advice to clients and enjoys excellent working relationships with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane and the Mayors of South East Queensland Councils. Jim is the Founding President of the Australian Green Development Forum and National President of Greening Australia. In 2007, Jim’s contribution and commitment to business sustainability was recognised through the Premier’s Award for Leadership in Business Sustainability at the Environmental Protection Agency Awards and Ernst and Young’s Queensland Entrepreneur of the Year in the Business Services Category.

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John Cole, Executive Director, Sustainable Industries Division, Environmental Protection Agency Queensland

John Cole is an Executive Director, Sustainable Industries Division, Environmental Protection Agency Queensland – and head of its non-regulatory arm, the Sustainable Industries Division. For twenty years he has served in a variety of senior public and industry positions in areas as diverse as technology commercialisation and community development. John was the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Environment Management Industry Association of Australia (now known as Environment Business Australia) between 1991 and 1998. After that, he undertook an organisational renovation of the Keep Australia Beautiful Council in Queensland before joining the EPA in 1999 as a founding Executive Director.

During the late 1980s he was senior policy advisor in Canberra. He is a Queensland representative on the standing committee of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council of Australia and New Zealand and the standing committee of the National Environment Protection Council. As well as co-chairing the Queensland Government's Ethanol Industry Development Committee, he also serves on State Government inter-departmental committees responsible for sugar industry reform, Queensland's greenhouse gas response strategy, clean coal technology, and energy policy.
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Molly Harriss Olson, Director, Ecofutures

Molly was formerly the head of President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development and is now the convenor of the National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development. Between 1995-97, Ms Olson was President and CEO of The Natural Step, USA, a non-profit environmental education organisation working with business leaders. She was also the US representative on the steering committee of Sweden-based The Natural Step, International.

Ms Olson worked in the White House as Executive Director of the President's Council on Sustainable Development. Appointed by President Clinton in 1993, the 25 member Council was a groundbreaking partnership whose membership came from, high-ranking representatives of industry, government, environment, labour and civil rights organisations. The Council was commissioned to develop a broad based national action strategy on sustainable development, and in March 1996, submitted its report, Sustainable America: A New Consensus, to President Clinton.

Ms Olson was the sustainability expert for the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum's 2000 meeting in Davos. She serves on the Boards of the Australia Institute, Global Action Plan, Clean up Australia, and has also served on the Boards of the Australian Building Energy Council, the Environment Management Industry Association of Australia, the Eco-Efficiency Consultative Group, The Australian National Committee for the Earth Charter, and the International Advisory Council for the Foreign Policy Association. She was the Chair of King Carl Gustaf's Business Leadership and the Environmental Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, and the Myerhoff Visiting Scholar, Series on Global Civic Responsibility, Goucher College, Baltimore, NM. "Business Class" Magazine recently identified Ms Olson as a "Woman to Watch into 2000".

Ms Olson earned her Bachelor degree in Environmental Studies and Natural Resource Economics with honours from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She was a distinguished Bates Resident Scholar at Yale University where she earned a Masters in Environmental Policy from the School of Environmental Studies. In January 1995, Ms Olson was selected to be a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Leaders for Tomorrow program, made up of individuals worldwide born after 1950, who have distinguished themselves as recognised leaders in the world community.

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Neil McLaren, Regional Manager, Hydro Tasmania Consulting

Following a successful 35 year career in the management of the design and delivery of major infrastructure projects with the Federal Government and as a Principal of one of Australia’s major private consulting organizations, Neil has been appointed Regional Manager for Hydro Tasmania Consulting. The organization provides solutions in renewable energy, environment and catchment management and power engineering throughout Australia and selected regional markets, to clients that share a vision of innovation and sustainability. Neil is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and has served as Chair of the Electrical Branch of the Victorian Division of Engineers Australia.

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Paul Perkins, Chief Executive of ACTEW Corporation

Mr Perkins has played a leading role in public utility reform in Australia in the Electricity, Water and Health Services sectors. In recent times Mr Perkins has been involved in industry and export development activities at a local, industry and national level. He is involved in eleven company boards and Government committees and is Chairman, Australian Science Festival Ltd, Chairman, Environment Industry Action Agenda and Barton Group, and Director and Immediate Past Chairman Environment Management Industry Association of Australia Ltd (EMIAA), now Environment Business Australia. Mr Perkins is also a Companion of the Australian Institution of Engineers and an Honorary Ambassador for Canberra.

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Phillip Toyne, Director, Earthmark

Phillip is one of Australia's best known environmentalists and was formerly Head of the Australian Conservation Foundation. From 1994-1997, Phillip was Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth Department of Environment, where he played a major role in the international policy arena on issues such as biodiversity, sustainable development and climate change. Between 1992 and 1994 Phillip was a visiting Fellow at Australian National University, where he taught environmental law and policy, wrote the Book "The Reluctant Nation" and developed the national ABC Radio series based on the book.

Between 1986 and 1992, Phillip was Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, where he led successful campaigns on mining in Kakadu, the Wet Tropics, Antarctica, and began the long process of merging green and aboriginal partnerships. He also developed the National Land Care program with NFF head Rick Farley, a movement which has radically changed land use practices in Australia and which is now moving to Africa and America. Before ACF, Phillip spent 14 years in the desert, first as a schoolteacher in a remote aboriginal community at Haasts Bluff, and then as the first lawyer for the Pitjantjatjara aboriginal people. During that time, Phillip successfully negotiated the passage of the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act, and then led the negotiations for the traditional owners of Uluru (Ayres Rock) resulting in them receiving title to the National Park. The leaseback arrangement and the joint management arrangements for the Park were a world first, and are used as a model today around the world in reconciling indigenous and environment issues.

Phillip is President of the Australian Bush Heritage Fund and serves on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Committee. He is a former member of the National Land Care Advisory Committee, the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee, Australian Population Council,the Prime Minister's Ecologically Sustainable Development Round Tables, and a Murray Darling Basin Commissioner.

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Rob Gell, Chairman, Access Environmental

Rob is a coastal geomorphologist by training; he taught Environmental Science and Physical Geography at tertiary level, then for twenty-five years he presented television weather. In his professional life he works as an environmental and communications consultant and is Chairman of Access Environmental Pty Ltd.

He is also a company director, and a published author and a photographer. He is the President of Greening Australia Victoria, Chairman of the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd. And a member of the Victorian Coastal Council. Rob is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Inaugural Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New
Zealand.

He is the savewater® ambassador and was Environment Ambassador to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Rob Gell is a uniquely qualified individual who has the respect of government, business, environmental groups and the community for his approach to sustainable development. Importantly he is also an excellent communicator who can get the message across.

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Ron Clarke, Founder of the Council for the Encouragement of Philanthropy in Australia (CEPA)

Ron Clarke is most famous for his incredible career in world long distance running. Ron set 36 Australian and 19 world track records. In 1965, in a period of two months, Clarke broke 11 world records in 16 races. A performance still unmatched today by any other athlete in history. He competed in two Olympics and three Commonwealth Games and almost killed himself going for gold in Mexico, collapsing into a coma after finishing sixth in high altitude conditions. He was voted 'International Sportsman of the Year' in 1965 and 1966 by the BBC and the International Association of Sports Writers (1965), and the French Academy of Sport (1966).

Running was in Ron's blood, but it was never as important as his passion for his family and business career. Retiring from competition in 1970 gave Ron more time to focus on his flourishing Accountancy career.

In 1983, with wife Helen, Ron moved to London after purchasing Cannons Sports Club from a receiver. He lifted membership of the club by more than 400% before eventually selling to InterPacific in 1993. During his 13 year stay in England, Helen and Ron Clarke, together with other investors, bought a 1712 manor house in Bath which they successfully developed into a highly successful Country Club Hotel, Combe Grove Manor.

Ron returned to Australia in 1996 to create a $185 million eco-nature resort for InterPacfic on South Stradbroke Island. Acutely aware of the fragile environment in which they were working, Ron and his team of architects and environmental engineers built the COURAN COVE RESORT with the least possible disturbance to the islands rare and distinctive plant and animal life. To date the Resort has received 15 awards for design and environmental achievements.

In 1999, Ron began building the $30 million Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre, an integrated fitness, sports medicine, dining and hotel complex, completing the project in August 2000.

Helen and Ron Clarke relocated to Melbourne in 2001, to establish the CEPA Trust, one of the world's largest Philanthropic organisations.

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Shaun Mays, Australian Ethical Investment Pioneer

Shaun Mays retired as the Managing Director of Westpac Financial Services in 2003. Shaun has over a decade of experience in the financial services industry in Australia and internationally. Prior to joining Westpac in 1999, he held senior positions including Chief Investment Officer of Commonwealth Financial Services and Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Mercury Asset Management. Shaun is currently a Director of Plan International Australia Limited, a non-executive Director of Babcock & Brown Direct Investment Fund, Director of Investa Properties Limited a Member of the National Environment Education Council, a Member of the Australian Stock Exchange Listing Appeals Committee and Member of the Environment Minister's Round Table. Shaun recently released the Mays Report on Corporate Sustainability – an investor Perspective.

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Tricia Caswell, Global Sustainability Unit, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

Since October 2000 Tricia has been the Executive Director of GS@RMIT, responsible for establishing the Institute and creating its vision, mission and strategy. She is the public face of the Institute. Tricia began her working life as a teacher at secondary, TAFE and tertiary levels. She became one of the nation's first women trade union leaders as secretary of the Teachers Trade Union of Victoria an elected industrial officer at the Victorian Trades Hall Council, and a member of the ACTU Executive. From 1992 to 1995 Tricia held the position of Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation. From here she went on to be the Executive Director of PLAN International Australia, an aid and development organisation. Tricia has been a representative on many public and private organisations, including UNESCO, The Australia Council, RMIT University Council and Chair of Circus Oz.

As a leader in Global Sustainability in Australia, Tricia has a number of Advisory and Board positions. These include:

- Sustainability Advisory Network

- Western Mining Corporation External Advisory Group

- BHP-Billiton Forum for Corporate Social Responsibility

- Minerals Council of Australia External Sustainable Development Advisory Group

- Sustainability Share Funds: Sustainability Assessment Advisory Committee

- Victorian Schools Innovation Commission Board

- Lend Lease Victoria Harbour Advisory Group

- Melbourne City Council

- Sustainable Melbourne Fund Board

- Papua New Guinea Sustainability Development Program Limited

- Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development Advisory Committee

- Australian Environmental Labelling Association Advisory Committee

- Plastics and Chemicals Industry Association Community Advisory Group

- Global Knowledge Venture Advisory Committee

- Environment Business Australia National Executive

- CSIRO Energy and Transport Sector Advisory Council

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Em. Prof. Valerie Brown, National Institute for Environment, Australian National University

Val is currently a visiting fellow in the School of Resource and Environmental Science and the Centre for Resource and Environmental Sciences (jointly) at the Australian National University. As director of the Local Sustainability Project, she is conducting research programs on local government management; the introduction of sustainability into public-health teaching; and whole-of-community decision-making. Val is author of over 200 research papers and 12 books on links between human and environmental issues, and her work can best be summed up as “thinking globally, acting locally”.  
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Walter R. Stahel, Visiting Professor, School of Engineering, University of Surrey

Walter R. Stahel is an alumni of ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in Zürich, where he received his diploma in architecture in 1971. He is one of the founder-directors of the Product-Life Institute (since 1983). Since 1987, he is also director in charge of risk management research, and vice-secretary-general, of the Geneva Association (International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics). Before, Stahel worked as an architect in London and as a project-manager at the Battelle Geneva Research Centres, Geneva, Centre for applied economics, in the fields of business strategy and feasibility studies. He left Battelle in 1980 to become personal assistant to the CEO of a holding company with worldwide activities in railway maintenance, shipping and real estate. In 1982, with a paper "The Product-Life Factor", Stahel was one of the laureates of the Mitchell-Prize Competition on sustainable societies in Houston, TX USA. In 1978, together with Peter Perutz, he won a first prize in the competition of the German Future's Society on the issue of job creation. Stahel has been a member of the first Environmental Council of the German Railways, Berlin 1996-2000, and of the Umweltrat of the UmweltBank, Nürnberg, since its foundation in 1997 (presently as its chairman). He was member of the Jury of the Sustainable Growth Awards 1996, 1998 and 1999 of DuPont de Nemours, Wilmington, DE. He is a member of the Eco-Dream-Team of Interface Inc, Atlanta GA. Consultant on policies and strategies of a sustainable development to the European Commission in Brussels, he participated at its 'Futures 2010' project, as well as ETAN and STRATA projects on research policy, risk management and global climate change, and presently on the issue of sustain-able and competitive production. He is an associate member of ESTO, the European Science and Technology Observatory. He works as a consultant on strategic issues for a number of large industrial companies (including BP, CORUS, Cookson, Kodak) as well as SMEs and national and regional governments. Stahel regularly lectures at universities and conferences in Europe, Japan and the USA on subjects ranging from tools such as eco-design, risk management and loss prevention. His research focuses on strategies and policies for a more sustainable development, and the insurability of risks as the 'natural' borderline between State and the market economy. Among his regular teaching assignments are the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ecole des Mines à Paris, a number of German and Swiss universities. At present he is a lecturer at Université de technologies de Troyes in France. A list of reports, publications and clients can be found on www.product-life.org.

Walters new book, 'The Performance Economy' summarizes and updates many of his previous publications and emphasizes the economic importance of sustainability.