Richard Sandbrook's Place

Richard Sandbrook's Place is for sharing experiences, stories and strategies for re-imagining and achieving sustainable development - a place where people can learn from the past, reflect on the present and work out how to transform the future. It's run by the Richard Sandbrook Trust.

We have invited key figures in the sustainable development movement to reflect on progress to date in a series of perspectives: what's worked, and what hasn't. And we have collected a timeline of the key milestones in the history of sustainable development.

Share what you find, post your opinions, or get in touch about contributing to the site.

Authors

Francesca de Ga...

Francesca de Ga...
London, UK

Francesca ran the Europe office of the Green Belt Movement (GBM) since its inception in 2005 after GBM founder Wangari Maathai was awarde

Yolanda Kakabadse

Yolanda Kakabadse
Gland, Switzerland

Yolanda Kakabadse is WWF’s International President and the former Ecuadorian Minister of Environment.

Bjorn Stigson

Bjorn Stigson
Sweden

Bjorn Stigson, former president of the WBCSD and visiting professor at the Gothenburg School of Business, has extensive experience in int

Barbara Frost

Barbara Frost
London, UK

Barbara Frost is Chief Executive of WaterAid in the UK.

Dominic Waughray

Dominic Waughray
Geneva, Switzerland

Dominic Waughray is Senior Director and Head of Environment and Sustainability Initiatives for the World Economic Forum; responsible for

Rubens Born

Rubens Born
Sao Paulo, Brazil

Rubens builds powerful networks and coalitions of civil society organizations addressing major issues of environmental protection and sus

Malcolm McIntosh

Malcolm McIntosh
South Bank, Queensland,...

Dr Malcolm McIntosh FRSA is Professor and Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at Griffith University in Queens

Stephen Joseph

Stephen Joseph
London, UK

Stephen Joseph has been executive director of Campaign for Better Transport since 1988.

Mark Halle

Mark Halle
Geneva, Switzerland

Mark Halle is Executive Director of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Europe.

Crispin Tickell

Crispin Tickell
UK

Sir Crispin Tickell has long been a pioneer in linking environmental and in particular climate change to the worlds of politics and busin

David Okali

David Okali
Ibadan, Nigeria

David Okali is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NEST.

Dr Ranjendra Pa...

Dr Ranjendra Pa...
New Dehli, India

Dr. R.K.

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Perspectives

WaterAid: a biography, Barbara Frost

From a 1981 conference for the UK water industry, to helping 17.5 million people gain access to clean water, Kate Whittaker looks at how WaterAid has worked towards a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.

Barbara Frost is Chief Executive of WaterAid in the UK.

Corporate sustainability: a brief history, Jonathon Porritt

Jonathon Porritt looks back through the growth of business taking responsibility for sustainability: from 18th-century pioneers building communities for their employees, to today's corporate strategists gradually giving sustainable development a central place at the table.

Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable...

Greenpeace: origins, campaigns and visions, John Sauven

John Sauven looks through the highs, lows and lessons learnt by Greenpeace, a global network of ordinary people willing to do extraordinary things to protect the environment.

John Sauven is Executive Director of Greenpeace UK

Earthscan: publisher for sustainable development, Jonathan Sinclair Wilson

Jonathan Sinclair Wilson looks back to the beginnings of sustainable development's leading publisher, and reflects on the changing role of information publishing today.

Jonathan Sinclair Wilson was Managing Director of Earthscan, the sustainability publisher, for 20 years.

The Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team, David Okali

David Okali recalls the events in the 25-year development of NEST - the environment and development NGO operating through a network across Nigeria.

David Okali is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NEST.

History of the human rights movement, Patti Whaley

Human rights are arguably the most powerful and widely-adopted moral language of international politics. Patti Whaley charts the development of the human rights movement and examines the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in practice.

Patti Whaley is Director of Resources at Forum for the Future and has 23 years’ experience in charity management. She has worked as Director of...

The business side of sustainability, John Elkington

Today, many corporate boardrooms and new start-up companies fully understand both the importance and the business potential of sustainability, but it hasn't always been this way, as John Elkington writes.

Founding Partner & Executive Chairman of Volans (2008 to date) also Co-Founder of...

Leadership for sustainable development, Sara Parkin

Many business leaders understand well the importance of sustainability, yet much leadership education seems not to. Sara Parkin looks at the needs of leadership for sustainable development.

Sara Parkin founded Forum for the Future, along with Jonathon Porritt and Paul Ekins (who is currently Professor of Energy and Environment Policy...

Health and sustainable development, Tony McMichael

Poor health is only ever recognised when the symptoms start to show - perhaps why health has often been overlooked in sustainable development, as Tony McMichael describes.

Tony (AJ) McMichael is Professor Emeritus (Population Health) at the Australian National University, Canberra.

Education and sustainable development, Jane Wilkinson

Education for sustainable development has been a core thread, since at least the first Rio conference in 1992. But this won't translate fully into practice without systemic change, as Jane Wilkinson explains.

Jane Wilkonson is the Masters Course Director and Principal Sustainability Advisor at Forum for the Fugure.

The meaning of sustainable development, Sara Parkin

Sara Parkin explores the interwoven themes that make up 'sustainable development' and surveys some of the history and definitions of the term.

Sara Parkin founded Forum for the Future, along with Jonathon Porritt and Paul Ekins (who is currently Professor of Energy and Environment Policy...

De-centering human beings, Andy Dobson

For as long as humans see themselves as the centre of life on earth, they'll not be able to keep that life going. Andrew Dobson explains the need for a cultural revolution to de-center human beings.

Andrew Dobson is Professor of Politics at Keele University.

Big questions for sustainable development

Looking across perspectives, timelines and discussions, we've pulled out some answers to key questions in working towards sustainable development.

Richard Sandbrook Ingredients

Vision

Being able to see beyond the here and now to a bigger, better picture of the future.

Confidence communication and rhetoric

Having the confidence, skill and understanding to communicate effectively and persuasively.

Hard work and determination

Being hard-working, devoted and determined with energy and bloodymindedness.

Fun and a license to poke fun

Believing in the importance of fun and playfulness, being able to poke fun at yourself and also at others. (Sometimes laughing at yourself gives you a license to laugh at other things, that need laughing at.)

Passion compassion and a belief in the underdog

Having passion and harnessing it, having compassion and acting on it, and having a belief in the potential of the underdog, which often lies latent beneath the surface, but which, time after time, is shown to be worth believing in.

Inside the rainforest Biome at the Eden Project

Divergent thinking and insight beyond the obvious

Being able to stand back and see the wood for the trees, being able to think laterally and creatively about challenges, hurdles, solutions and opportunities that are sometimes not the obvious ones.

Provocation and playing with off-limits territory

Being provocative and not afraid to ask difficult questions, including about things that others are reluctant or afraid of probing into.

Effecting change from within

Being a 'tempered radical' - seeking to change people, policies and practices not so much by fighting against them but working with them.

Forging unlikely alliances

Bringing people together in combinations, collaborations and partnerships that perhaps they, or other people, wouldn't have thought productive, so as to achieve particular results.

Local Service Provider connecting low income areas

Knowledge understanding and empathy

Working with people and with experience, by taking the time to understand people and their experiences, and by establishing knowledge and understanding yourself.

Focus on process and learning - changing hearts and minds

Paying attention to processes and practices, and also to people's learning: looking to effect sustainable change by changing hearts and minds.

Main menu

Sustainable development themes

Authors

Perspectives

Big questions for sustainable development

Richard Sandbrook Ingredients