Holding out for a hero

No doubt about it, the world’s top sustainability hero in 2007 was big Al. Gore’s Inconvenient Truth was everywhere. Every awards list, Nobel included, rightly recognised him as the biggest single factor in ensuring the world’s big wake-up to climate change.

A revealing recent poll, conducted among the UK’s main green movers and shakers by Forum for the Future, confirms Gore’s position way ahead of the field. Asked to say who’d “shown the greatest leadership in advancing sustainable development in 2007”, more than four in five ticked the Gore box.

Although the respondents had three votes each, the only other leaders picked by over 30% were Nicholas Stern (of the eponymous Review) and Ken Livingstone – closely followed by the year’s standout sustainable business leader [see right], Stuart Rose of M&S (28%). Some way behind these was Vandana Shiva (14%), the Indian environmental activist, who carried the flag for the female half of humanity, hugely under-represented in this leadership poll. And in the write-in ‘others’ category, several respondents stressed that much crucial work is done by ‘unsung heroes’ at the grassroots and community level.

So what does this tell us? Is it a case of “unhappy the land that has such need for heroes”, as Galileo said (or, rather, Brecht had him say, in his play)? Stephanie Draper thinks not. At Forum for the Future, she’s developing a specific ‘leadership’ theme which cross-cuts much of the organisation’s sustainable development work, and she’s adamant that leadership – at all levels – is vital in creating the changes we need.

“89% said that leaders have to look further into the future”

Hence this poll, which is set to become an annual event. Its results certainly support her thesis that effective leaders for sustainable development need special qualities. A massive 89% of respondents agreed (most of them ‘strongly’) that such leaders have to look further into the future. Almost as many recognised that they need to understand and engage with a broader range of stakeholders and external influences, and have a better understanding of how different actions relate to each other and to wider society. Not a role for the fainthearted…

A striking feature of Forum’s poll is the distinctly underwhelming performance of our national politicians. “I hope we’ll see a lot of change in that space next year,” says Draper enigmatically. Currently, it seems, none of them can hold a candle to Livingstone as advocates of sustainability. His 37% score is three times that of Tory leader David Cameron (12%, on a par with Jamie Oliver). And a measly four people (1.6%) picked prime minister Gordon Brown.

Brown scored 11.7%, on the other hand, on the list of villains. Here, Tony Blair (with 12.5%) was narrowly adjudged the most culpable of UK politicians in undermining sustainable development – whereas Cameron had his collar fingered by a mere 4%. It’s a bit of a shame to have Ryanair’s abrasive boss Michael O’Leary (32%) and ubiquitous motormouth Jeremy Clarkson (27%) so high up this list of infamy; it will only encourage them. The big bad world demon, though, was George Bush; for over 80% of Forum’s punters, November’s elections can’t come soon enough.

The poll was not all about people. In the “most significant event” category, 59% listed “extreme global weather events”, many picking out the melting of Greenland ice, as the biggest wake-up calls of 2007. Gore’s film and Stern’s Review (for its continuing impact) featured prominently here too. So did the Fourth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose expert scientists shared Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize for backing up the call for urgent action with evidence and analysis that brooks no credible contradiction. Bad science, by contrast, took a pasting, with respondents especially incensed by the ‘Great Global Warming Swindle’ documentary.

Top rated among specific positive initiatives (at 22% each) were Stuart Rose’s ‘Plan A’ at M&S, and the UK government’s much-discussed climate change bill. Indeed, running through the whole poll is an emphasis on the need for leadership from both business and government – the two areas where there was broad agreement that we need much more in 2008. To date, as Draper points out, “the big leadership has come mainly on raising awareness of the issues. Now we need to shift into serious action; politicians and business need to stand up.”

And what does the poll say they need to do in 2008, that they didn’t do last year? Be braver, communicate better, engage people in solutions? Innovate, and think longer term? Yes, all those things, but above all what? Grasp the nettle, and practice what they preach. Now there’s a seasonal thought.

6 January 2008

Roger East