“The Earth is full. It's full of us, it's full of our stuff, full of our waste, full of our demands. Yes, we are a brilliant and creative species, but we've created a little too much stuff -- so much that our economy is now bigger than its host, our planet”. 

| Paul Gilding - TED Talk

 Advocacy

Recorded Talks | Opinion Pieces | Events | Media

As I argue in all my writing, we work in a complex interconnected system, so if you seek to change the system there are many legitimate and useful pressure points and many ways to contribute. There is in my view, no single superior theory of how change can best driven, so I choose to contribute in a number of ways, hoping they will collectively have impact.

Therefore I spread my arguments using a wide a variety of methods, including writing, personal corporate advisory work with business leaders and academic teaching. In addition to these I can see potential value in more ‘broadcast’ advocacy to larger audiences and I do this through speaking and media work.

I think this is a useful contribution particularly because it allows me to engage many types of people in all walks of life. And who knows when an individual might be motivated to take their own actions with potentially far reaching consequences?

My speaking experience has ranged across many different formats and audiences, including major public and business events, general conferences, public lectures, television, radio and podcasts interviews, and single company executive workshops.

Below are a series of examples. It is far from a comprehensive list but rather a sample to provide you with a sense of my approach.

Recorded Talks

TED Talk - The Earth is full. Long Beach 2012

 

Paul Gilding and Peter Diamandis onstage debate following their TED talks - Is the Earth maxed out, or should we be optimistic abut being able to solve our future?  Paul Gilding made the case for the former, and Peter Diamandis argued for the latter. Watch here.

Video

  • A University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Conversation - How a technology-enabled sustainability revolution starts with individual leadership - (20 November 2023). A CISL Conversation between Paul Gilding and Lindsay Hooper, Executive Director for Education at CISL discussing the role of business, financial institutions, technology and COP28 in driving sustainability leadership. Watch here.

  • Climate Change: how do we play our part? - (4 Feb 2021) Paul Gilding, Ted Franks, Ursula Finsterwald and Phoebe Stone discuss the challenge of mitigating climate change and the crucial role the financial services industry has to play in the future of our planet. Watch here.

  • Sounding the alarm - (13 July 2020). Discussion with Jane Morton and Roger Hallam on existential threat and rebellion. Watch here.

  • Climate Emergency Summit 2020: This Is Not A Drill - (25 Feb 2020). Hypothetical with Kerryn Phelps – Former Head of the Australian Medical Association; Greg Mullins – Former NSW Commissioner of Fire & Rescue; Lidia Thorpe – Activist and Former Politician; Oliver Yates – Former CEO, Clean Energy Finance Corporation; Ian Dunlop – Former Chair of the Australian Coal Association; Carmen Lawrence – Former WA Premier & Social Academic; Paul Gilding – Climate Risk Analyst & Business Consultant and Cheryl Durrant – Former Director of Preparedness and Mobilisation Australian Defence Force. Watch here.

  • Climate Emergency Summit 2020: Stand Up Leadership – (25 Feb 2020). Panel discussion with Peter Garrett, Zali Steggall, Paul Gilding and Jean Hinchliffe. Watch here.

  • The Mother of All Conflicts: Infinite Economic Growth vs. a Finite Planet - (15 Nov 2011. University of Oregon Cressman Lecture. Watch here.

  • The Great Disruption as presented at the University of Sydney, including an introduction by Rosemary Lyster and a question and answer session. Watch here.

  • Talk at Seattle Town Hall (courtesy Ed Mays, Pirate TV). Watch here.

  • RSA London – Edited Talk on The Great Disruption – in various formats to watch and downloadable.  Watch here.

Audio

  • A Wild & Beautiful World Podcast: Driving Positive Change Amidst Disruption - 1 hr 9min (8 December 2023) Listen here.

  • Leading in a climate changed world – 42 mins (3 Feb 2020) Listen here.

  • Eaarth Feels: Ep. 56. Best in Climate: 2020 – When the Great Disruption began Listen here.

  • Eaarth Feels: Ep. 68. Best in Climate: It will get darker before the dawn – 13 mins (2 June 2020) Listen here.

  • The Climate Mobilisation: “The Big Picture” with Margaret Klein Salamon – 1hr10min (27 April 2018) Listen here.

  • TED Radio Hour -  How do we continue to grow if the earth has reached its limit?- 9 mins (17 Aug 2018) Listen here.

  • The UPLIFT Podcast: Crisis as a Catalyst for Transformation – 23 min (28 April 2017) Listen here.

  • On Point with Tom Ashbrook – 45 minute radio show on NPR (USA) Listen here.

  • Podcast interview with Ethical Corporation’s Tony Webb (16 minutes). Listen on Listen here..

  • The Great Disruption at the RSA in London on 13 April 2011 including audience Q&A . Listen here.

  • The Great Disruption, as broadcast nationally in Australia on ABC Radio’s Background Briefing. Listen here.

  • NPR - The Great Disruption Special - A special one hour radio special on The Great Disruption, broadcast on NPR in the USA, including Joe Romm from the excellent ClimateProgress.org. Listen here.

  • Conversations with Richard Fidler, ABC Radio - 1 hour radio show (7 July 2011). Listen here.

Transcripts

  • World Business Council for Sustainable Development AGM - 2012, Oct 31, Seoul, South Korea. We cannot avoid the global crisis… but we can deal with it. Read Here.

Opinion

  • The Beef With Animal Agriculture - Eco Business (2018, Nov 19): The meat industry's attempt to block the mainstreaming of alternatives puts it in the same role as the fossil fuel industry. Where are the policies to limit emissions from the food and agriculture sector?

  • Rethinking Animal Agriculture - Project Syndicate (2018, Nov 15) $: The production of meat and dairy products is both highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and a key contributor to the problem. As with fossil fuels, our only choice is to overcome the industry’s defensive resistance and transform our food system.

  • When we look at the crisis rationally, the only logical response is to declare a climate emergency - Climate Code Red (2018, Sept 13): People engaged in the climate debate are often bewildered by society’s lack of response. How can we ignore such overwhelming evidence of an existential threat to social and economic stability? Given human history, we should never have expected anything else. Humans have a consistent tendency that when change is uncomfortable we delay action until a threat becomes a crisis.

  • It’s not too late to act on Climate Change - The Age (2018, Sept 11): People engaged in the climate debate are often bewildered by society’s lack of response. How can we ignore such overwhelming evidence of an existential threat to social and economic stability?

  • The Climate Mobilisation Victory Plan: Forward - Resilience.org (2016, Sept 16): For many years, a small number of scientists, scholars and activists have called for a WWII-scale mobilization to save civilization from climate catastrophe - an all-out effort far beyond anything proposed in today’s polite debates. This year, the idea has started to build serious momentum.

  • Don’t be Fossil Fooled - It’s time to say goodbye - Resilience.org (2015, July 14): It’s time to make the call – fossil fuels are finished. The rest is detail.

  • Victory at hand for the Climate Movement? - Common Dreams (2013, March 23): There are signs the climate movement could be on the verge of a remarkable and surprising victory. If we read the current context correctly, and if the movement can adjust its strategy to capture the opportunity presented, it could usher in the fastest and most dramatic economic transformation in history.

Events

  • TED – Talk at opening session of TED 2012 in Long Beach California. 1,500 live audience and 1.4 million views on line.

  • The Great Disruption Book launch tour – In 2011 gave over 70 public talks in 8 months in 6 countries as part of the launch of The Great Disruption.

  • USA Universities – Harvard Business School, MIT and University of Oregon. Public and student/faculty lectures.

  • Stocklands – Presentation to the top 40 Executives of this Australian property company on the science and business implications of climate change.

  • Singapore Ministry of Defence. Singapore Island Forum – Two day private workshop with defence chiefs and department heads on global trends in sustainability, climate change and social change and their security implications.

  • Australian Minerals Industry conference – 200 executives from Australian mining companies on the Great Disruption and its implications for mining.

  • Consult Australia – 300 person conference of engineering and consulting company executives on sustainability and the built environment.

  • Anglo American – the top 120 global executives of a major global mining company at their bi-annual retreat in Barcelona, Spain – presentation with the company Chairman.

  • Suncor Energy Canada – the top 100 global executives on business strategy and sustainability.

  • EPA Victoria – 15 water company CEOs, workshop on sustainability and its business implications for the industry.

  • US Business Council – 100 CEOs  of major US companies at their annual retreat. Panel discussion with DuPont CEO Chad Holliday on sustainability.

  • 1 Million Women – Speaking tour to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for public talks to 1,000 women with this community climate group.

  • Sydney Writers Festival – Talk to 1,000 people at Sydney Town Hall and various other events at Australia’s premier writers festival.

  • Spirituality, Leadership and Management conference –Talk on The Great Disruption and its implications for human consciousness.

  • Santam Insurance South Africa – 30 executives on climate change science and its business implications.

  • Anglo American Coal Division South Africa – 20 executives from the coal division on climate change and the coal industry.

  • Public forums, Capetown and Johannesburg – 100 business people on sustainability and economic development..

  • DuPont USA – Talk to the top 30 executives at a company retreat on GMOs and sustainability.

  • ABC Radio National public forum. Nationally broadcast radio debate in Newcastle  on climate change and coal.

  • Centre for Sustainability Leadership – workshops for 30 young community workers on activism and social engagement.

  • Lion Nathan – Japanese brewer Kirin’s Australian arm – 20 executives on sustainability and business strategy.

  • TEDx events – Talks at local TED events in Sydney, Australia and Iowa, USA on the Great Disruption.

  • Australia India Business Council 150 business and government officials on Climate change and its implications for international relations and trade

  • Business Chicks – 500 women at each of three business women’s networking events around Australia

  • Sydney University – Public lecture on the Great Disruption which was broadcast on national radio on a leading current affairs program.

  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency – Keynote speaker at launch of environmental initiative following the countries declaration of a climate emergency.

  • Climate Emergency Summit, Melbourne - Featured speaker and panelist at inaugural national summit.

  • Banking Environment Initiative – Keynote speaker at a report launch event attended by 120 senior bankers, sustainable finance specialists, insurers and asset managers.

Media

Recent

  • Edie - “Paul Gilding on why COP27 provides an opportunity to pair economic and environmental recovery”. Read here.

  • New York Times – “The Earth is Full” Column about The Great Disruption by Pulitzer prize winning journalist and best selling author Tom Friedman. Read here.

  • Lateline (ABC TV Australia) featured a joint interview with Tom Friedman and Paul Gilding about The Great Disruption and Tom’s NYT column “The Earth is Full”. You can watch the story or read the transcript on the Lateline website

  • Australian Financial Review - “True Leaders 2015: Why Greenpeace sacked Paul Gilding as CEO” Feature article introducing FR 2015 True Leaders, discusses Paul’s work and ideology. Read here.

  • On Point with Tom Ashbrook – (NPR – USA). One hour radio show on The Great Disruption, with caller questions Listen here.

  • Richard Fidler’s Conversations (National ABC radio program – Australia) In depth radio interview (1 hour) on the ABC’s top rating interview program (and most podcast program). Covers The Great Disruption and Paul’s personal story. Listen here.

  • CNN –  Interview conducted at TED conference by CNN and OpEd published on CNN website. Watch interview and read op-ed here.

  • All Things Considered (NPR Radio – USA):  Interview for a segment “Confronting Climate Collapse, but with Optimism!” (5 minutes) Listen here.

  • NRC (Dutch daily newspaper) Article on book after visit to Netherlands (in Dutch). Read here. Also review of book (in Dutch). Read here.

  • Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Business pages profile and article by Leonie Lamont on the economic arguments in the book.  Read here.

  • CNN – Opinion – “Save the global economy, save the planet.” Op-ed published by CNN (USA) Read here.

  • Melbourne Age (Australia) Book review by Peter Christoff. Read here.

  • The Times, London Sunday Times Review. Book of the week. Review by Associate Editor, Business and Politics, David Wighton See here.

  • The Guardian (UK)– Blog and review by John Elkington see here

  • Canberra Times (Australia)– Book review by Bob Douglas see here.

  • Campaign Strategy News (UK). Review and discussion of the implications for environmental campaigners by Chris Rose. See here. (Do you know which article it was – links to list)

  • Wattwatcher and Environmental Management News – Book review by Murray Hogarth. See here