A new poll has revealed the world’s most sought-after speakers specialising in sustainability.
Unlocking green and eco-friendly ways of doing business has never been more important.
It’s leading to directors racing to find cutting-edge solutions which can help them grow sustainably – and still boost their bottom line.
The drive to net zero means the clock is ticking in finding the best and innovative forms of working – fast.
To help, companies are now increasingly turning to expert speakers to aid the process of driving and spreading awareness through all levels of their business about the importance of sustainability.
And a new survey produced by the Sustainability Speakers Agency has shown which leading lights are in the hottest demand to provide this expertise as speakers.
Topping the list of thought leaders is Pia Heidemark Cook, IKEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
Pia is known for her strategic approach to ethical sourcing and has helped IKEA to win prestigious awards for sustainability. She consistently scored the highest marks in reviews according to the poll by the newly formed The Sustainability Speakers Agency.
Second on the list is Kate Brandt, Google’s Sustainability Officer. From AI to recycling, Kate is now at the forefront of business sustainability and has become one of the world’s most influential thought leaders.
Other names in the top 20 include Mike Barry who is most widely known as the former Director of Sustainable Business for Marks and Spencer; Richard Reed, who founded Innocent Drinks, a smoothie company that prioritises ethics over profits; and Nigel Topping who is renowned for his role as High-Level Champion for Climate Action for COP26.
The creators of the survey – the Sustainability Speakers Agency – say the poll comes amid “accelerating demand” for experts in this area.
Their director Jack Hayes, who has helped transform the industry in recent years, said: “For businesses, securing the very best insight on sustainability has rocketed to the top of their to-do list for 204.
“We’ve seen accelerating demand for expert speakers who can provide the very best insight into both sustainability and the environment.
“That’s why we created a new network of speakers, which is bringing together the world’s best speakers that specialises in this area.
“Speakers on sustainability are in high demand because more organisations than ever are looking towards a greener future.
“Corporate leaders regularly turn to sustainability experts to achieve carbon-neutral status, as their practical, solution-driven advice produces visible results. Sustainable services and products are quickly becoming the new norm, and for good reason.”
Explaining how the process of booking a speaker works, Jack Hayes added: “The first step in the process of hiring a speaker is to assess the requirements of your event. This phase involves choosing whether the event will be in-person or virtual, the location of your event, the target audience of your event and the budget allocated to spend on your event. Once you have decided on those factors, our team at Sustainability Speakers can help make your event a reality.
According to the poll, the Top 20 Sustainability Speakers to Hire in 2024 are:
- Pia Heidenmark Cook
- Kate Brandt
- Mike Barry
- Sue Garrard
- Roger Ballentine
- Dorthe Scherling Nielsen
- Håkan Nordkvist
- Christiana Figueres
- David Howell
- Richard Reed
- Chris Hines
- Charles Perry
- Nigel Topping
- Steve Howard
- David Mayer De Rothschild
- Sally Uren
- Tony Seba
- Melissa Sterry
- Liz Bonnin
- Pen Hadow
