I was with Ted Turner when he came to see Kofi Annan – the Secretary-General of the UN – to announce his decision to put $1 billion to the service of UN projects and programs.

Nevertheless, the concept of sustainable development is now known – even amongst those who haven’t accepted it – and it’s recognized, debated and followed by an increasing number of businesses.

I’ve got used to criticisms and, naturally, I try to make sure I don’t listen to the more extreme ones because most of the people who have taken their right-wing extremist view of my life are people that I’ve never met.

I’ve developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for its leadership in developing hybrids which others are now following.

After all, sustainability means running the global environment – Earth Inc. – like a corporation: with depreciation, amortization and maintenance accounts. In other words, keeping the asset whole, rather than undermining your natural capital.

Don’t accept that you can’t make a difference. Because if you can’t make a difference, you won’t make a difference, and if you put a multiplier on that we will continue on an unsustainable pathway.

We’re either going to save the world or no one will be saved.

What pleases me most is that sustainable development is on almost everybody’s agenda now.

Current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class – involving high meat intake, use of fossil fuels, appliances, air-conditioning, and suburban housing – are not sustainable.

Either we reduce the world’s population voluntarily or nature will do this for us, but brutally.