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ECO HERO: TREWIN RESTORICK

Greta Jonyniate | 03.10.11

Trewin Restorick is the CEO of independent environmental charity Global Action Plan, which he founded in 1993. The charity runs programmes to reduce carbon emissions, energy consumption and waste with businesses, schools, community organisations and households. Global Action Plan has won a range of awards including the 2008 Ashden Award for sustainable energy for its employee behaviour change programmes and was recently shortlisted for Creating the Future Award and Third Sector Awards.

What inspires you?

I have a mind that I can’t switch off, a fundamental stubbornness and a weird desire to constantly try new things. All of these characteristics are fueled by meeting people and hearing what sustainability challenges they are facing and then trying to help them overcome them. I am constantly inspired by seeing what people and organizations have achieved to live more sustainably. The most recent example is the Litre of Light initiative in the Philippines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14967535

What makes you angry?

Arrogance. Particularly arrogant leaders who don’t seem to care about the environmental, social or financial impact of their decisions. Be it bankers who seem totally oblivious to the devastation they have caused, political leaders focused purely on short-term electoral gain or, on a more prosaic level, the people who have destroyed my beloved home football team Plymouth Argyle. As a cyclist what makes me angry is BMW drivers who seem genetically programmed to try and kill me.

If you were Prime Minister what would be the first thing you would change?

Everything. Fundamentally I would wish to redefine the purpose of Government. I would kick out the all-consuming, short-term, narrow economic view of the world that oozes from the Treasury and create a new vision for what a prosperous UK would look like. This would be built around an economy that is low carbon and zero waste. That offers people work that is fulfilling. That creates strong resilient local communities. That narrows what I think are unacceptable levels of financial inequity. That gives young people more of a say in their future and that totally redefines the notion of wealth to incorporate skills, biodiversity, resource value and social cohesion as well as financial measures.

Can individuals really make a difference

The only way to answer this is with the quotation from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." This holds true even though the awful band Nickelback stole the quotation for one of their lyrics. Time and again I have been amazed by what committed individuals can achieve in their community. For example we recently worked with a Sudanese volunteer in Croydon called Adam Yasir. He started the Great Green Hope campaign at Croydon College through our Greenprint 2020 initiative. Operating under the slogan ‘Tomorrow’s climate is today’s challenge,’ he has helped transform the college and has been shortlisted for ‘Volunteer of the Year’ http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/Climate-Squads-Adam-saved-more-than-10-per-cent-at-college

What is your personal mission?

I don’t have anything as grand as a personal mission. Each day I try to do whatever I can to help Global Action Plan do more and do better – it’s as simple as that.

What’s more urgent: changing things from the inside or starting a revolution on the outside?

Are they mutually exclusive? I don think they are. If you don’t change yourself then any calls for revolution are hypocritical. Remember ‘two jags’ John Prescott urging people to use their cars less. It had all the authenticity of ham flavoured cheese spread.

What is the best meal you’ve had in your life? Cooked by whom? Eaten with whom?

Is it completely cheesy to say my wedding reception? We spent a lot of time ensuring that the food was local and seasonal and checking out the credentials of the supplier. The meal itself was a joyful celebration surrounded by friends and family and the food was fantastic. As part of the day we asked everybody to send us their favourite recipe and turned these into a cookbook which we gave to all the guests. Food is a really important part of my life and it seemed the right thing to do to offer a gift celebrating the best recipes of friends and family.

Can you describe a typical work day?

A typical work day is a juggling act between what I would like to do and what I need to do. The bit I like is getting out, meeting and talking to people. Last week we organised the London launch of Al Gore’s Climate Reality initiative which involved getting 200 people together to watch and discuss the new slideshow. I gave a presentation at the Business for Environment Summit on sustainable consumer goods - we held two discussion groups with a host of organisations to discuss how to implement more sustainable transport policies and I sat through a five hour DEFRA Civil Society board meeting. The need to do stuff revolves around running the charity which is focused on the constant and ever growing challenging of paying the wage bills, and working with the Management Team to ensure that we have an organisation capable of truly making an impact.

How do you define success?

Personally, success for me is seeing Global Action Plan achieve significant change. Seeing people within the organsiation flourish. Proving to myself that living more sustainably is rewarding, and hoping that my obsession with work doesn’t make me a completely useless husband and dad.

What is the best advice anybody ever gave you?

I had a somewhat maverick boss in my first ever job who told me ‘Also do what you believe to be right.’ Easy to say, hard to do.

What is your favourite book or film of late

I have recently finished ‘Just Kids’ the autobiography of Patti Smith. I loved its brutal honesty as she describes her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe and her personal journey which has resulted in her being one of pop’s iconic figures.

What would you like to most happen to protect the planet

An overwhelming acceptance that the climate scientists are right and that we need to change our economy to hit carbon reduction targets.
 

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