Archive
Explore my previous climate change work, awards and news
Nov
2018
Dec
INK Talks
David in India
David heads to Hyderabad, India, to talk climate change. In the INK conference 'Billionaires of Moments' David talks about the moment when he realised that climate change was real and would affect him. He also shares ideas on how all of us all have a part to play in the green revolution.
Now online
BBC Life Lessons
David talks climate change with BBC Radio 4
David talks to the BBC in this short piece on climate change as part of Life Lessons. Young UK talk about the issues that matter most to them - and why they should matter to all of us
Sept
New York Climate Week
David attends Gates 'Goalkeeper' event & UN Climate Week
David attended UN General Assembly, New York Climate Week and the Gates Foundation 'Goalkeeper' event to collaborate with fellow leaders to scale up action.
Aug
Gates Goalkeeper
David is short-listed for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation award
David has been short-listed for a Gates Goalkeeper award for his work on climate change. He will attend a summit in New York at the end of September to further collaboration and innovative to tackle climate change.
Jul
Mar
David on Global Heatwave
David joins Nick Ferrari to discuss the UK heatwave and hosepipe ban
Temperature records are being broken in Europe, wildfires are burning in the Arctic and the UK is sweltering in the heat. David joins Luke Pollard MP to discuss climate change and how the UK needs to start adapting to life in a warmer world. David talks about his recent insights from the water crisis in Cape Town.
SDGs in Salamanca
David delivers speech at Sustainable Development Goals conference in Spain
David presented his insights from the front-line of SDG implementation in his experience as a consultant on government policy and sustainable business strategy. The Ibero-American conference on SDGs was hosted in Salamanca, Spain from 27th-29th June.
Disruption Ahead
David collaborates with Shell & Intelligence Squared to create a bold debate about the future of transport
Right now, we’re on the cusp of the biggest revolution in transport since the advent of the combustion engine. Intelligent, automated cars are taking control from drivers. Apps are creating cheap, efficient ride-sharing networks that act as a new mode of public transport. Meanwhile, the latest electric, hybrid and alternative power sources hold out the promise of clean, safe movement. Transport is now the biggest sector the greenhouse gases in the UK and the public are calling for action to clean up city air.
Who really owns our means of transport? Are you happy giving up your privacy in a ride-sharing economy? Will the transport of the future target energy efficiency over profits? And how do we make sure that everyone enjoys the same benefits from future transport systems?
Hosted by TV and radio’s Edith Bowman speakers included Jamie Bartlett author of The Dark Net, Fred Jones, Uber’s Head of Cities in the UK and Ireland, Christian Wolmar author of Driverless Cars: On a Road to Nowhere and Eugena Ossi an expert on how big data can revolutionise transport.
Listen to the podcast recording of the debate here.
Jan
BBC Radio 2
David joins the Jeremy Vine show to debate UK transport.
The annual rise in UK rail fares has been announced while fuel duty continues to remains frozen.
If we want to really get the country moving and improve air quality is it time for drivers to be subsidising the cost of greener public transport options such as trains?
David debates against a motoring journalist.
Beast from the East
David joins Nick Ferrari to discuss the weather freezing the UK
Despite the freeze in the UK the Arctic is currently sweltering. Winter weather has been disrupted and is this a sign of our changing climate?
2017
Nov
Sept
Jul
May
Feb
2016
Nov
July
June
May
We Are Family
David joins the Board of Directors
David joins the UK Board of Directors for the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF). Through initiatives like TEDxTeen and Three Dot Dash WAFF amplifies the voice of young people, connecting them with brands, mentorships and partnerships who are at the forefront of global impact. They are convening meetings at the White House, speaking at the United Nations, in Forbes 30 under 30, founding the next million dollar companies and spearheading global revolutions.
David will support the growth of WAFF in the UK in forging strategic partnerships and creating bold new collaborations.
Financing the future
Launch of the Climate Finance Accelerator
David, in his work at Ricardo Energy & Environment, worked to launch a bold new climate change initiative at the London Stock Exchange. The Climate Finance Accelerator brought four country delegations to London for an intensive weeklong workshop to work directly with international banks (HSBC, Deutsche Bank and BNP PB) in order to attract finance towards their transformative low carbon infrastructure projects. The CFA was the brain child of climate gurus Tessa Tennant & Ian Callaghan and delivered by Ricardo and PwC. The event launched at the Stock Exchange and was supported by UK government, City of London, CIFF, Inter-American Development Bank, Climate Works and many others.
Oceanic x Ibiza
Conscious experiences through art, music and emerging tech
David was invited to be a scientific advisor to Oceanic Global to advise and help create content relating to climate change. Oceanic x Ibiza was a conscious festival bringing together artists, musicians, conservation leaders, NGO's, business and policy makers to protect our oceans. At the festival held at Atzaro David presented a keynote in the speakers tent and chaired a panel on plastic pollution which featured Susan Rockefeller (Oceana), Jo Ruxton (Plastic Ocean), David Katz (Plastic Bank) and Petter Malvik (UN Environment).
Sustainability Leadership
David gives guest lecture at IFLAS to MBA students
David challenged students to be better communicators by utilising story telling and better understanding the core values of the target audience.
IFLAS is a global hub of inquiry, teaching, and dialogue on enabling the transition to more fair and sustainable societies.
The challenge of social, environmental and economic sustainability requires "sustainable leadership" - ways of relating that promote change that is mutually beneficial for the person, organisation, stakeholders and world at large.
WWF Earth Hour Hero
David named as 'Lifestyle' Earth Hour Hero
David was named the 'Lifestyle' Earth Hour Hero at the WWF celebration of the 10th anniversary of the campaign. At a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament David received the award from triple Olympic champion, Andrew Triggs Hodge.
David's extensive climate change work & passion for the environment, evidenced over a decade, led the judging panel to award David the award.
Zero Emissions Conference
David speaks in Oslo about communicating climate change
David gave a keynote address to te conference on the importance of better communicating the relevance of climate change and shared tips on how to get different groups of people to care about this crucial issue. He presented alongisde the Norweigian Prime Minister, Executive Secreatry of the UNFCCC and CEO's of innovative technology companies.
David was also invited onto TV2 Breakfast news to talk about climate change, the challenges of communication and share his insights on the USA President Elect.
Enercon
Celebrating the UK wind industry
David spoke at the Enercon Celebration Dinner at the National Museum of Scotland. This event celebrated the remarkable achievement of Enercon installing1GW capacity of onshore wind power in the UK. David spoke about the challenge of climate change and the importance of low carbon investment in energy despite current market uncertainity.
Powering Progress Together
David delivers keynote at Shell conference
At the event focussed on collaboration for a low carbon future Shell CEO Ben van Beurden shared his own views and posed questions, along with behavioural design guru Sille Krukow, climate change communicator David Saddington, behavioural insights author Jonathan Rowson, the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of MIT Technology Review Jason Pontin and Chief Technologist at the Johnson Space Center Dr Douglas Terrier. The discussion was part of the wider Make the Future festival.
Back to Bonn
Implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement
After speaking at COP21 where the histroic Paris Agreement was negotiated David returned to the UN at the Bonn Inter-sessional to discuss how turn low carbon ambition into real action.
David discussed the importance of youth innovation in the implementation of national climate change plans and how to accelerate progress by effective governance.
Apr
Forgiveness at Oxford Uni
Why only forgiveness will solve climate change
David delivered this innovative talk with businessman, global governance campaigner and Simpol founder, John Bunzl, at Green Templeton College for the inaugural Novity Talks Conference.
David & John address the classic triangle of actors (activists, business people and politicians) and question what is holding us back from (really) collaborating! They unearth a hidden dilemma which once visible unveils the difficult position these actors are locked into and the striking vulnerabilities they all face. Only when we see this can we forgive each other and move towards substantial action on climate change.
Mar
2015
Dec
Aug
Jul
May
TEDxCityUniversityLondon
Thinking Out Loud
David returns to the TEDx stage in March at TEDxCityUniversityLondon to reflect on climate change action after the historic Paris Agreement was negotiated last December. The Agreement is a major landmark in international law but is it enough to cut CO2 in time to make a difference or do we need another stimulus?
COP21 Paris
Chairing the Intergenerational Inquiry and speaking at first ever Education Day
David was invited to work with the UNFCCC to co-ordinate and moderate the Intergenerational Inquiry at the landmark COP21. The panel included Christinia Figueres (Exec Sec UNFCCC), Ségolène Royal (French Minister), Ahmad Alhendawi (United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth) and youth climate leaders from around the world.
David then spoke on Education Day at the COP on the importance of formal education, public outreach and the neccessity to re-energise the conversation on climate change. Interview on the Climate Stage avaliable here
HM Lord-Lieutenant Plants Mattie Stepanek Memorial Tree
"Remember to Play After Every Storm"
On 10th September 2015, HM Lord-Lieutenant Sue Snowdon visited the St Marys College, Durham University, eco garden to plant an oak tree and unveil a plaque commemorating Mattie Stepanek and his work on global peace.
Thanks to Mahmoud Shalabi for photography.
See the full gallery at the ROOTS website
United Nations Environment Programme
David is selected as a Global Contributor to the 6th UNEP Global Environment Outlook
The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a consultative process, participatory process that builds capacity for conducting integrated environmental assessments and reporting on the state, trends and outlooks of the environment. GEO is also a series of products that informs environmental decision-making and aims to facilitate the interaction between science and policy.
Eco Warrior Nominated for Green Award
David's gren drive is putting Teesside on the world map
Now David’s unwavering dedication to the cause has been recognised once again with his second nomination in the Green Champion category of the Gazette’s Community Champion Awards.
YngPioneer Interview
David chats with YngPioneer about social enterprise and eco gardening.
David was interviewed by the youth enterprise website and answered quetiosn surrounding his work developing his award-winning social enterprise and tips for fellow change makers.
Check out the article here
Mayors Civic Awards
David receives Civic Award for local, national and global green work.
David was presented with a Civic Award from Mayor Barbara Inman, Stockton, for his Green Work and making an outstanding contribution to his field and the local community.
Check out the news article here
The Guardian Witness
Students communicate climate change
'Ice & Climate' has been featured by the Guardian in their Guardian Witness page which features action on climate change from around the world.
Check out the feature here
Ice & Climate
Cinema, experiments & debate
The event 'Ice & Climate' brought climate change to the heart of Newcastle by taking over one the largest museums and public squares in the city. A giant outdoor cinema showing award winning climate documentaries and melting ice sculptures brough the stark reality of climate change to Northern England. Inside the museum interactive science experiments encouraged people to explore what climate change means for them. The evening debate saw climate experts pragmatically debate climate change and rising issues such as divestment and fracking. Full event summary from the Chronicle and gallery on Ice & Climate Facebook