Gunter Pauli

Environmental entrepreneur, author & speaker

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Gunter Pauli is an entrepreneur, lecturer and commentator whose interests span culture, science, politics, sustainability innovation, and the environment.

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What Gunter Pauli's clients say

Here is some of the feedback from audiences and clients who have worked with Gunter.

"When Gunter Pauli fronts up to the audience it is like a sudden burst of (renewable) energy and excitement has gushed into the room."

Tina Perinotto,

The Fifth Estate

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Gunter Pauli's 2025 biography

Gunter Pauli’s Background

He is a champion of sustainable design and is dedicated to developing innovative business models which will not damage health or the environment.

Author of The Blue Economy
Built the first ecological factory when Chairman and CEO of Ecover
Founder-Director ZERI Foundation – Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives
Advisor to the United Nations

A charming, passionate and persuasive speaker, Gunter has made it his life’s work to design new business models that work in harmony with the environment. He founded the ZERI Foundation – Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives to carry out this work gathering together a global network of creative minds dedicated to developing new projects. They currently have nearly 200 in action – including recycling coffee waste for mushroom farming, making biodegradable detergent from discarded citrus peel, and the conversion of petrol stations into ‘charge stations’ for electric cars.

He has set out the philosophy behind the foundation in a powerful book called The Blue Economy.

In 1992 as chairman of Ecover he built the first ecological factory and was then commissioned to look at the business models of the future by the United Nations.

His visionary approach resulted in an invitation to present his cases at the World Expo 2000 in Germany where he constructed the largest bamboo pavilion ever made.

He has been a member of the boards of several NGOs and private companies in Asia, USA and Latin America and advisor to the Rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo.

He has been visiting lecturer and professor at universities in on all continents. Since 2009 he has taken responsibility for the design of an economic development concept based on GNH (Gross National Happiness) principles and values as part of his advisory role in designing an economic development strategy for Bhutan.

He was assistant to the founder of the global think tank The Club of Rome for 5 years and wrote his first book about his boss there. Since then he has written around 20 books printed in 34 languages, and 125 fables for children.

He was born in Antwerp, Belgium and graduated from the University of Antwerp in economics. He has a masters degree in business administration from INSEAD. He is fluent in seven languages and lives in Japan.