CLIMATE CHALLENGE COMPETITION
Breadcrumb trail navigation:
- FT Home
- > In depth
- > Climate Challenge Competition
- > Panel
Climate Challenge competition: the panel
Resources
Related content and features
 | Lionel Barber is the editor of the Financial Times, appointed in November 2005. Mr Barber was previously the newspaper’s US managing editor, based in New York, responsible for the US edition and all US news on FT.com. Mr Barber has written several books and has lectured widely on US foreign policy, transatlantic relations, European security and monetary union. “The issue of climate change is one of the toughest challenges of today. Innovation, spearheaded by the business community, is crucial to finding solutions - and the FT is delighted to partner in this important initiative by Forum for the Future.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Sir Richard Branson is chairman, president, and chief executive of the Virgin Group. In 1970 he founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer. With around 200 companies in more than 30 countries, the Virgin Group has now expanded into leisure, travel, tourism, mobile, broadband, TV, radio, music festivals, finance and health. The group is also investing in renewable energy and resource efficiency through the Virgin Green Fund. The group also operates Virgin Unite, a not-for-profit entrepreneurial foundation. In February 2007, the group announced the Virgin Earth Challenge, a $25m prize to encourage a viable technology that will result in the net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Eileen Claussen is president of both Strategies for the Global Environment and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Ms. Claussen is the former assistant secretary of state for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. She served as a special assistant to the President and senior director for Global Environmental Affairs at the National Security Council, as well as chairman of the United Nations multilateral Montreal protocol fund. Ms. Claussen is the recipient of the Department of State’s career achievement award and the distinguished executive award for sustained extraordinary accomplishment. “Any sound plan to address climate change will require not only mandatory limits on greenhouse gases, but a substantial effort to drive private and public investment in innovative technologies that can reduce emissions, create jobs to spur economic growth, and help reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based energy supplies. The Financial Times Climate Challenge is an excellent opportunity to see innovators at work, and I look forward to a great display of entrepreneurship and creativity.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Mark Hurd is chief executive and president of HP, appointed in 2005, and was named chairman in 2006. With the goal of establishing HP as the world’s leading technology company, Mr Hurd has sharpened HP’s strategic focus and concentrated its investments on three long-term growth opportunities. First, next-generation enterprise data center architecture and services. Second, technologies for always-connected, always-personal mobile experiences. And third, a broad transition from analog to digital imaging and printing across the consumer, commercial and industrial markets. Between the company’s 2004 and 2007 fiscal years, HP increased revenue from $80 billion to $104 billion and more than doubled its earnings per share. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Sir Terry Leahy is chief executive of Tesco, appointed in March 1997. He previously held positions as deputy managing director and marketing director for the group. Sir Terry is a director on the Liverpool vision regeneration board, and a member of the British prime minister’s business council. In March 2008 he was nominated by Retail Week as retail leader of the year, adding to a number of previous awards. “We need no less than a revolution in green consumption if we are to defeat the global threat of climate change. Innovation, and the excellence and excitement associated with it, can play a decisive role in this revolution. That’s why I am delighted to support this competition and look forward to seeing the entries it will inspire.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Dr Rajendra K Pachauri is director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). TERI provides research to governments, institutions, and corporate organizations in the areas of energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and the conservation of natural resources. Dr Pachauri became director of TERI in 1982 and assumed his current role in 2001. In April 2002, he was elected chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; he was re-elected in September 2008. The IPCC and former vice president Al Gore were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007. “The urgency of actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases require innovation at an unprecedented level, which will only happen if innovators are recognized appropriately. I am sure this initiative will prove worthy of the hopes it justifiably arouses.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Jonathon Porritt is chairman of the UK sustainable development commission and co-founder and programme director of Forum for the Future. Mr Porritt has been an advocate for sustainable development for the last 35 years. He studied at Oxford, becoming a comprehensive school teacher before entering politics to become chair of the fledgling UK Ecology (now Green) party in 1978. He became director of Friends of the Earth in 1984 and remained in that post until 1991. In 1996 he co-founded Forum for the Future, the UK’s leading sustainable development charity. Mr Porritt is also co-director of The Prince of Wales’s business and the environment programme, and is a board member of the south west regional development agency. His latest books are Capitalism As If The World Matters and Globalism & Regionalism. “News from the frontline – regarding the science of climate change – gets grimmer by the day. We must massively ramp up investment in new technologies and new ideas to help combat this threat – without further delays.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
 | Leon Sandler is executive director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Deshpande Center’s mission is to stimulate innovation, moving technology from the laboratories to the marketplace. In his role at the center, Mr. Sandler spans the worlds of academia and industry, technology and business, established companies and entrepreneurial start-ups. Prior to joining the Deshpande Center, he held senior management positions in large technology companies and founded and ran technology start-ups. Mr. Sandler holds an MS in Chemical Engineering from Natal University and an MBA from the Stanford Business School. “Technological innovations in energy efficiency and clean energy are critically needed to affect climate change. The Financial Times Climate Challenge competition will be an important catalyst, stimulating these innovators and helping move their innovations to commercial adoption. The problem is daunting and it will take time. However, talented, bright, creative minds will find solutions.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||
