Welcome to my latest journey

by Ellen MacArthur
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1 Sep 2010
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Getting to the stage of launching our new Foundation has been a roller-coaster, not unlike sailing round the world, but this time the challenge is different. When I sailed around the world the outcome didn’t really matter, it was about a goal I’d set myself, but sustainability is part of all our lives, and this time the outcome really does matter.

There have been some difficult moments over the past 4 years during which I have had difficulty ‘seeing through to the other side’, but through our four year journey to 2010 we have pieced together the clues from talking with government, councils, educators, business leaders and experts who are all around us. Now I can see exactly where the Foundation is heading, and what we are setting out to achieve. Never have I got involved in a challenge before which is so exciting, and so testing, but together with the talented and motivated team a the Foundation I am absolutely loving it.

I hope you enjoy our website and videos… Our journey will be as full of highs and lows as any ocean race, but this time there is a difference.

It has no finish line.

22 comments

Stuart Lambie wrote on September 2 2010:

Good luck Ellen - at last someone is creating a high profile for C2C in the UK. I have been working on sustainability issues in our organisation for the past 5 years. Living in the UK, I work for a Dutch company with global business and we are setting targets and goals today which I hope can ultimately lead to a C2C future for our products and organisation.

Annabell Macfadyen wrote on September 2 2010:

Wonderful work, intelligent and thought provoking which will, I'm sure, give a huge boost to the sustainability movement and inspiration to lots of young people.

Keith Lodge wrote on September 2 2010:

We are on this journey with you. The boat is leaking and the winds are not favourable, so we need gutsy people to inspire and will on the crew to bail us out and row like mad to safer waters. Will get on board in Bradford and offer our vision of a way ahead for housing to the debate. Keep on sailing.

Laurence Roberts wrote on September 2 2010:

Thank you . At last a person as yourself with the capacity to bring across the idea of a holistic sensible social energy based program . Engineers and Scientist most now herald you as a messiah (the messenger sort not the other im sure your lovely but church's and scriptures get messy, never ends well) . And some of the less scrupulous among the business world i hope shall fear you . As I'm sure your aware ignorance , tradition and superstition will be your enemy , not people . So everyone on reading this site comment etc , did you really need 2 games console , that shiny new Ipad . Why did you buy them not, how or what but why ? AS a wise man once wrote There is no war this is a rescue mission.

James Smith wrote on September 2 2010:

I think this is a great initiative. I have worked with many companies of all types over the years and in my experience environmental concerns are right at the bottom of their list of priorities; that needs to change... fast!

Dave Hampton wrote on September 3 2010:

Thank you for your courage, commitment, clarity and dedication. It was a delight listening to you yesterday at the launch. There can be so much (well disguised, latent but ultimately debilitating) subtle commitment to 'failure' around (e.g. humankind 'knowing' our sails are currently set on the 'failure' outcome and it all seeming too hard. You bring the opposite. You have decided we can do this, and you know we will succeed. (Failure is not an option - not for my kids.) It's funny, I coach my celeb clients to want to travel around the world a bit less :o) Your 'feat' of endurance was hi-impact without footprint. Feats of courage without feet of clay? Thank you Ellen.

Patrick Andrews wrote on September 3 2010:

Welcome on board Ellen. Education has to be a great place to focus your energy and talents. The older generation are generally too attached to the old ways of seeing the world - inspiring the young will make a massive difference. Patrick

Peter Phillpotts wrote on September 3 2010:

Along with most other Derbyshire residents I'm sure,I'd like to congratulate this exploitation of the fame you have achieved in sailing to promote a most admirable initiative.My only observation upon this is that to get the world to start making things which can continue being used indefinitely we will have to get business to stop thinking that the business of business is to maximise profit and instead to manufacture the products we all need to use.

Natalia Gameson wrote on September 3 2010:

It sounds really interesting Ellen - I hope you do well with it. I run a C2C website for consumers, energyrethinking.org, and it's really great to see people coming around to the sustainability agenda. Good luck with it all.

Tamsin Omond wrote on September 3 2010:

thank you. thank you so so much. you've done all the research and you've hit exactly the right focus. the pressure you put, the profile and resources you bring - this is the beginning of such an exciting story!

Natalia Gameson wrote on September 3 2010:

Good luck, it deserves to do really well! It's marvellous someone with your profile Ellen is backing a sustainability agenda - I edit a website that's a platform for consumers to share tips on saving money and enegry. Laurence, you're right - I don't think any house needs more than 1 computer, myself!

William Holden wrote on September 3 2010:

One of the biggest challenges sustainability has to overcome is to stop being referred to as sustainability! Only when initiatives once concerned with the CSR and Sustainability departments are dealt with by finance, sales, operations etc, will we be on the path to..... sustainability! It's beginning and I agree; It'll never end!

Thomas Bourne wrote on September 3 2010:

Good luck Ellen and team. I'm sure it will be a tough slog, but you already have a lot of support - not just from those who already know about these issues and theories, but from those who are just learning thanks to your efforts. It all makes so much sense!

Dan Gray wrote on September 4 2010:

Ellen - listening to your interview on R4 the other day was music to my ears, and if you bring but a fraction of the guts and determination you showed as a yachtswoman to promoting sustainability, I'm sure the Foundation will be a great success. I was particularly heartened by your line about "redesigning the future" - that being a little less bad is not the same as being good - and I hope this is a line you continue to press. We need a more optimistic message, and this is where sustainability and Design Thinking is a marriage made in heaven. Let's change the nature of the debate. From “What is” to “What could be”. From “Growth or no growth” to “What do you want to grow?” From “Look what we’re going to have to give up!” to “Yeah, but have you considered the possibilities?” As Albert Einstein famously said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Cecily Etherington wrote on September 7 2010:

Ellen - I agree with the positive and optimistic approach you have taken to tackling sustainability. It is something I firmly believe. I work for a Gloucestershire charity who are holding an county wide event called Your Green Future which seeks to inspire Years 11 - 13 about the relevance of sustainably to all jobs - so it is seen in an exciting and innovative light. Hopefully our approach will become mainstream!

chris wrote on September 12 2010:

good on you Ellen. I have followed your life in sailing and always thought that you are more Water Rat than Toad. The Toads of this world are the racers, the folks who sail for ego rather than joy. i am sure you have read The Wind in The Willows and will identify with the Water Rat's concerns about the Riverbank being overrun by the wealthy and vulgar - just the thing that will happen to our worls if we dont all think, and act, more like you. All strenght to your campaign !

David Brunnen wrote on September 15 2010:

Thanks Ellen for an inspirational evening last Monday in Southampton and the book signing. I was lost for words for a couple of days but I found them again in time for today's editorial 'Sustainability?' at http://www.groupe-intellex.com/editorials/18-gi-global/249-sustainability.html Thanks again.

Rita Hedley wrote on September 24 2010:

What an informative and inspiring website! It makes you ask 'how can I help contribute to the success of the journey? as well as providing many ideas for the 'how'. Best wishes for continued success.

sally smith wrote on October 11 2010:

Well done ellen! Not only have you been an inspiration to us all watching you embrace all the highs and lows of your marine adventures, you are now taking us on another one which is truly global and has ramifications for all of us. We all need to venture out into dangerous waters, that is facing up to the imminent destruction of our planet but there are many waves to face. Good luck and I hope to be part of this journey.

Poor Richard wrote on October 17 2010:

Congratulations, Ellen. Though I've sailed a bit, I have not followed your sailing career. I was drawn to your website via my interest in the economic ideas-- C2C and circular economy. Nicely done so far. Good luck to us all.

Colum wrote on November 18 2010:

I wish you the best and I admire your efforts. The biggest challenge is getting meaningful assistance and direction from the government but you will find the governments are mostly more interested in charging people more money and raising "carbon taxes" as opposed to actually forwarding any meaningful solutions. I do hope this doesn't end up like Jamie Olivers well-intentioned and very worthwhile healthy school dinners campaign, that ulitmately didn't get very far without meaningful support from the government who in reality care little what junk school children eat, and in reality they care little for the environment. Anyhow any progress is good, and I am impressed you have taken up the challenge. Regards

Jamie Perry wrote on November 19 2010:

Hi Ellen, I wish you all the best with your new venture. I was very tempted to join you when you advertised your communications role but still have some unfinished work where I am. I watch with great interest as the foundation unfolds and hope your determination and drive will fend away those whose may have greater interests in the foundation failing. Feel free for you and your team to count mecas a contact if your work ever brings you into the midlands. Kind regards Jamie Perry

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