Julia Hailes MBE

Sustainability Pioneer

TV Clip from ‘Kilroy’ with recognisable faces! (1989)

I was amazed to discover this edition of Kilroy in my archives. I remember doing it but I didn’t remember how many well known people were participating. Stephen Fry looking very young but who sadly doesn’t speak. Imran Khan who was a prominent man about town at the time – and is now President of […]

Green Consumer Compilation – TV Clips with Julia Hailes from 1988-90

Many people will be surprised to know how much interest there was about green consumerism in the late 80s and early 1990s. It was kicked off by the publication of The Green Consumer Guide, co-authored by myself and John Elkington, in 1988. The book had 11 print runs in the first month, shot to the […]

Julia Hailes talking about organic produce (1989 Approx)

Organic produce was quite a niche market in the 1980s. I remember talking to a group of enthusiasts about getting it into the supermarkets and they were decidedly unenthusiastic about the idea. There was quite a purist approach and they didn’t want it to become too commercialised. I couldn’t disagree more. There may be some […]

TV Clips compilation of Julia Hailes talking about waste and packaging – 1988-1990.

Recycling was probably the most popular green consumer issue because people could really understand what they could do. Quite often it was the only environmental thing they were prepared to do! Here I’m talking about recycled loo paper, overloaded landfill sites, saving energy, recycled materials, Mcdonalds cartons, egg boxes etc… “As we fill more and […]

I co-founded SustainAbility – and it’s 25! (Apr12)

John Elkington has posted a blog about why we started SustainAbility.  It describes us meeting in 1986 and setting up the consultancy / think tank in 1987.  Twenty-five years on SustainAbility is hosting a celebration and inviting everyone who has been involved with the company in the interim.  I’m going to participate but won’t recognise […]

Behind the scenes at McDonalds (Jun10)

It wasn’t ‘Old McDonald had a farm’. Actually, the farm belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall although it was being run by farmer, Richard Hoskins. Near Dorchester, almost over-looking the Prince of Wales new town of Poundbury, the beef farm turned out to be a key supplier for McDonalds. The expedition was the first of […]

Marjorie Scardino in place of Anita Roddick – women in business (Apr08)

I was originally asked to speak at the Merrill Lynch ‘Shaping the Future’ event last year. Anita Roddick was scheduled to be the key note speaker and I was rather looking forward to seeing her again. She wrote the foreword to our Green Consumer Guide, published in 1988 and I had seen her quite recently […]