Topic - Sustainability

Sustainability Speakers

38 keynote speakers, curated by Speaker Ideas
World-Class Sustainability Speakers

Meet our Curated Sustainability Speakers

Ready to spark powerful conversations at your event? Discover how a Sustainability speaker can inspire your audience—enquire now for availability and speaking fees.

Peggy Liu

Works across policy, business and civil society in China on sustainable urbanisation and consumption, covering policy change, urban development and consumer behaviour in China.

Joschka Fischer

Environmental policy, coalition government and the political negotiation required to turn climate priorities into public policy, informed by a former German Foreign Minister who came through green politics.

Lewis Pugh

Endurance swimmer who has swum in waters no one had before to draw attention to ocean change, connecting marine and polar sustainability with first-hand experience of environmental change and advocacy for ocean protection.

Jeremy Rifkin

Sustainability at systems and policy level, particularly energy transition, infrastructure and the design of large-scale economic change, from an economic theorist who has advised the EU on energy transition and infrastructure.

Marcello Palazzi

Company structures, measurable social and environmental performance and regenerative approaches to business, informed by a co-founder of B Lab Europe, where he grew the B Corp movement across the continent.

Robert Swan

Connections between polar exploration and environmental advocacy and the protection of Antarctica, informed by a first person to walk to both poles, with extensive campaigning on Antarctic preservation and renewable energy.

Stephane Garelli

Competitiveness economist whose work includes an Olympic sustainability and legacy commission, a conservation advisory board and studies on the socioeconomic impact of large events, focusing on economics and legacy planning.

Josephine Fairley

Supply chains, sourcing and the commercial decisions involved in building an ethically positioned consumer brand, informed by experience co-founding an organic chocolate brand built on ethical sourcing.

Sir Tim Smit

Founded the Eden Project, transforming a disused pit into a major environmental visitor site, focusing on regeneration, public engagement and the creation of places designed around environmental themes.

Sir Richard Branson

Entrepreneurship and enterprise-led approaches to environmental challenges, from an entrepreneur whose ventures have included environmental and clean energy initiatives.

Jeff Furman

Long-serving board member of a values-led ice cream business known for its social mission, examining purpose, governance and the role of social mission in business.

Steve Howard

Operations, supply-chain decisions, targets and large-scale organisational delivery, informed by a former Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA, where environmental commitments were applied across a global supply chain.

KEYNOTE THEMES

Key Topics Covered by Sustainability Speakers

Sustainability speakers can approach the subject through climate science, economics, circularity, innovation, policy, investment or organisational leadership. That breadth makes the event brief especially important.

  • Climate and environmental systems
  • Circular economy and resource use
  • Sustainable business and innovation
  • Energy and transition
  • Policy and regulation
  • Finance and investment
  • Leadership and organisational change

Choose the lens before the speaker

A science-led conference, a leadership offsite and an industry event may all use the word sustainability while needing very different sessions. Speaker Ideas can distinguish between speakers who explain the evidence, those who work on policy or transition, and those whose experience is closer to business strategy, innovation or organisational change.

Frequently Asked Questions

A sustainability keynote can address climate, the circular economy, sustainable business, innovation, leadership, transition, regulation, resources and the relationship between environmental and commercial priorities. The right focus depends on the organisation, industry and level of knowledge in the audience.
Speakers may have backgrounds in science, business, economics, policy, innovation, climate, the circular economy, investment, campaigning or organisational leadership. A scientific or policy perspective may suit one event, while another may need a speaker who connects sustainability more directly with business strategy and innovation.
A corporate sustainability keynote can place more emphasis on leadership, strategy, innovation, transition or commercial implications, provided the brief clearly sets out the audience and the issues that matter to the organisation. The speaker should still remain within their genuine area of expertise.
A broader sustainability speaker can be a better fit when the brief includes business strategy, circular economy, resources, innovation or organisational change as well as climate. A climate specialist may be more appropriate when climate science, climate policy, decarbonisation or the energy transition is the main focus.

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