News

Former Shell supremo to speak at Festival of Research

Published 18 April 2013

Event 8 May 2013

Coalitions between business groups and civil society are the best way to ensure governments in developing countries protect their natural resources, the former global chairman of Shell will tell the University of Brighton's Festival of Research next month.

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart will speak about natural resource development and developing economies at the free, public event on 8 May at 6.30pm. This will be followed by questions and answers.

He has been at the heart of global debates on energy and the environment over the last two decades and chaired task forces on renewable energy for the G8 and for business for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. He serves as Vice-Chairman of the Global Compact Board and has been Chairman of the Global Compact Foundation since 2006. The Global Compact is a United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies and to report on their implementation.

Sir Mark said: "Coalitions between business and civil society have been effective in addressing a number of issues, from environmental protection through corruption to human rights. The United Nations Global Compact is the largest such coalition committed to sustainable development and its Local Networks can be potentially powerful in encouraging good practice in all businesses and societies. Coalitions are more effective and legitimate than action by business alone. It can also be argued that constructive engagement and the opening up of economies is a more effective route to positive change in countries than is isolation and sanctions."

Sir Mark has spent a high-profile career working in the oil industry. He was managing director of Shell Transport and a managing director of Royal Dutch Shell plc between 1991 and 2001. He was non-executive director of Anglo-American plc from 2001 to 2009 and is currently Chairman of the Innovative Vector Control Consortium for combating insect-borne disease and served on the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development 2003-11.

The University of Brighton's Festival of Research is part of the Brighton Fringe and aims to engage the public in current topics of debate in the social sciences, arts and science.

The university welcomes visitors and the public to attend this free event. Tickets are available from the Fringe box office.

Read more about the Festival of Research and other keynote speakers.