Entrevista con "The AIESEC Alumni Sustainability Network"

GUNTER PAULI  en entrevista con 

"The AIESEC Alumni Sustainability Network"

habla sobre su experiencia de vida, de carrera y de su paso por AIESEC:

- What was your AIESEC experience?

First I helped organize in 1978 a seminar on Economy and Ecology as part of the local committee in Antwerp. We held it at Monsanto factory which had just installed a water treatment plant. That was an interesting experience because we hit all the headlines of the media. 

Then I was elected NCP and hosted the world congress in 1979, and a series of international seminars, including one with Aurelio Peccei. Finally, I was elected AC for Latin America and was able to work in the region for a year. 

- Recount your best AIESEC moment?

Of course the best is when I met my mentor Aurelio Peccei. You know as a student you can ask anyone even the top of the world! And get a response if you are persistent and do not accept a no for a no ... and as a student you never do! 

Main achievements
- How did your sustainability career started?

Aurelio Peccei introduced me to Lester Brown the author of the State of the World and then founder of WorldWatch Institute. And I loved his publications so I started a publishing company to translate his works into Dutch and quite a few other languages. That is how I got the word out - but I was committed long before just was looking for the way as an entrepreneur to contribute.

- Recount your biggest sustainability achievement with us?
The best is yet to come ;-)

Well since 1984 I am involved with Gaviotas and this incredible opportunity to witness and participate in the conversion of a destroyed rainforest (now a savannah) into the rainforest it once used to be. There are 8,000 HA already to demonstrate that this is not only possible, but this is commercially viable. 

Then I built the first ecological factory in the world, completely made out of wood with the largest green roof on an industrial building. 

In 2000 created the biggest structure ever made out of bamboo with the Colombian architect Simon Velez - bamboo is the most sustainable building material used by + one billion people. 

And now I am inspiring would be entrepreneurs to create hundreds - if not thousands- of companies to implement new business models that are social, ecological and truly competitive changing the rules of the game on the market. This is perhaps having the best impact - and the most lasting result!

Sustainability
- What current trends in the sustainability space can you perceive?

We have to go beyond the Green stuff, that has been around for decades and not even 1% of the economy is green. Then whatever is green energy relies on subsidies - that imposes more taxes, that means consumers must pay - and then whatever is good for the environment and my health is expensive. No way - that is for the rich and not for everyone and thus this green type of economy is never going to take off as a standard for the world. 

And while we cannot stop growing since the poor have so many unmet needs, we cannot grow the way the West has done. So the message is clear we have to design a new economic model that makes certain that the best is available for all cheaper than the bad, and whatever is necessary for life - is for free!

That is my main proposal: and called it the Blue Economy. 

Blue because the sky is blue, the ocean is blue and seen from the Universe the Earth is very blue indeed!

- What is your lecture of the evolution of Sustainable Development in the corporate arena?

Evolution? We have not even started!

What advice can you give to the members of AASN reading this interview?

I refrain from giving advise - all I can suggest is be exposed, always know that things can go much better and will be much better and that the biggest hurdle we face is our experience and our knowledge that does not permit us to go beyond what we know and do.