Gunter Pauli was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in March 1956. In 1979, he graduated in economics from Loyola University (now the University of Antwerp) in Belgium, and obtained his MBA from INSEAD in 1982 in Fontainebleau, France, on a Rotary International Foundation scholarship. During his studies, he held a wide variety of jobs in order to “support his family, his studies and save money, which enabled him to travel extensively during the summer vacations”. In 1978, he was elected national president of the AIESEC student union.
He was founder and chairman of PPA Holding and more than 10 other companies, founder and CEO of the European Service Industries Forum (ESIF), secretary general of the European Business Press Federation (UPEFE), founder and chairman of the “Mozarteum Belgicum” Foundation, founder and chairman of Ecover, and advisor to the rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo (Japan).
His entrepreneurial activities cover business, culture, science, politics and the environment. Under his leadership, Ecover pioneered an eco-friendly factory in 1992, featured on CNN Prime Time News. He founded the Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI) at the United Nations University in Tokyo, then established the global ZERI network as a foundation, redefining production and consumption in clusters of industries inspired by natural systems.
He is dedicated to designing and implementing a society and industries that meet people’s needs using what is available locally. His visionary approach, supported by dozens of field projects, earned him an invitation to present his cases at the World Expo 2000 in Germany. There, he built the largest bamboo pavilion of modern times, showcasing 7 revolutionary initiatives. It became the most popular pavilion with 6.4 million visitors. Unfortunately, the pavilion was destroyed after the Expo. However, the original, built in Manizales, Colombia, is still a symbol of the coffee region.
His latest initiatives include devising a solution for the plastic soup floating in the oceans and creating a protected area with islands to prevent rising sea levels. He is actively involved in ensuring that the world’s largest herd of rhinos (2,400 in India’s Kaziranga National Park) is freed from poachers through an intensive program of economic and community development in coordination with organic tea plantations.
He has been a guest lecturer and professor at universities on every continent, and a board member of NGOs and private companies in Asia, the USA and Latin America. He has advised governments, entrepreneurs and business leaders on how to implement breakthrough innovations that enable society to better meet the basic needs of all, starting with water, food, housing, health and energy. It works with what is available locally and focuses on creating value.
He is a member of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (San Francisco, USA), a founding member of the Club of Budapest (Hungary), a member of the Club of Rome, moderated the Nobel Prize for Science Laureates Round Table organized by HM the King of Jordan, and holds a doctorate in systems design from the Italian government. The University of Pécs, Hungary, awarded him an honorary doctorate.
Gunter has published 20 books (16 written – 4 edited), which have been printed in +30 languages, and 365 fables bringing science and emotion to children. Over 17 million copies have been distributed worldwide. One of his fables, “The Strongest Tree”, is available in over 100 languages. One of his latest books published in April 2015 “The Blue Economy 2.0: 200 projects implemented, 4 billion dollars invested and 3 million jobs created” is the new reality inspired by the vision of his Report to the Club of Rome presented on November 2, 2009.
He is the father of five sons and one daughter (adopted). Fluent in seven languages and having lived on 4 continents, he is a citizen of the world.