Phil Harding Quotes
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Low carbon, resource efficient solutions and halting then reversing population growth are two sides of the same coin
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No economic measure has more value for a nation than investing in a clean & sustainable low carbon future
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Economic growth won't feed a growing population living on this finite planet
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Living in an orgy of unrestrained consumption and economic growth accompanied by population expansion that ignores the carrying capacity of local environments will lead to disaster
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What will use more finite resources? That 3rd or 4th child you have or driving a large car? We all need to think about the choices we make
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Success in your life is not a single achievement. It's all that you do with others and for others
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Destroying green belt agricultural land for immediate economic gain is like burning your children's inheritance to cook a single meal
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It's for management to enthuse & motivate employees towards excellence in service; the profit incentive doesn't last
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We can't always control what happens but we can control our response
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Is it better that we manage population growth responsibly or should we to wait for nature to cull our numbers?
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From dawn to dusk, winter to spring, summer & autumn; the contrasts of nature refresh the mind & renew our sense of balance
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Short term "dash for cash" economic solutions hinder progress towards a better, more sustainable, world
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The top two ways to destroy success are greed and impatience
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To care for the natural world is the most effective insurance policy we can have
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A stable 21st century society requires 21st century solutions not 20th century economics
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It is environmental illiteracy and a complete lack of forward thinking to ignore the need to halt and then reverse population growth in the context of climate change, travel congestion, unaffordable housing, and resource depletion
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Influence is getting others to do what you want them to do because they want to do it - a take on Eisenhower's famous leadership statement
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Large carbon and resource savings arising from efficiency and renewable energy programmes will be completely cancelled out by the added resource needs of even small population increases. Action is urgently required on both fronts to protect our life on earth
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The 2013/14 storms & floods show the UK needs to invest in a climate resilient, low carbon, food secure, full employment, positive future
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Everybody talks about population growth and its disastrous effect on climate change, food security and resource depletion, but nobody does anything about it
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A child's smile reminds us that the greatest privilege in life is to know, help & enjoy the company of others
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When politicians & economists understand we live in a finite world & act accordingly then a better future has a chance
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Like our finances, humankind is living with a growing ecological deficit but the solution is different. The deficit will worsen with dangerous consequences unless we address population growth sooner rather than later. Efficiency improvements, increased use of renewable resources and less waste in themselves are no longer sufficient to put us back into credit
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It's better to ask the right questions than accept the status quo
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Without environmental sustainability, economic stability and social cohesion cannot be achieved
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The UK still has time to accelerate the take-up of renewable energy and put the nation on a path towards clean energy that is cheaper, stable and more sustainable. We have a stark choice: We can stay stuck in the last century's boom and bust approach to our economy in the way we consume energy and resources, or create a sustainable, stable and renewable energy infrastructure with the long term environmental and employment benefits that ensue
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Reasons to be positive. The economic downturn could be the catalyst for positive change. It should be translated into the wake-up call we need for a major change in aspirations and lifestyles to save humanity from the ecological and economic disaster that would otherwise result from continuing on the high carbon and resource depleting path we have been pursuing
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Quickest way to build trust: Keep promises you make, don't over-promise. Over-deliver, don't under-deliver. If you say you'll do something, make sure you do but if things then run late or go wrong, tell your client at the earliest opportunity
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Those living in rural areas as well as those with a planning policy remit for those areas have an important responsibility to protect green belt agricultural land for the wider benefit of feeding the UK into the uncertain future that we all face
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Business and the environment: Wasting resources costs the earth - and lowers your competitive edge
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Phil Harding
- Born: 1958
- Occupation: Chairman of an NGO, former Senior Policy Adviser on sustainable development, climate change and resource efficiency