Now out: Zeitz Foundation newsletter, first issue, July 2010!

A word from the Founder:

As you read this newsletter, botanists in Kew Gardens, London, are growing a plant that was thought to have gone extinct sixty years ago! Some positive news as scientists remind us that between 150 and 200 species of life become extinct every 24 hours.

At times, the outlook for our planet seems bleak. People are at war, the Gulf of Mexico is filling with oil, we are dealing with a global economic crisis... Yet this current climate is an incentive for us to do more.

At the Zeitz Foundation, we put our energy and resources into making our Long Run philosophy a reality. We believe in an approach to life geared at acting today for a better tomorrow. We strive for improvement.

Our work is about sustainable development, for a better planet, considering the 4Cs – conservation, culture, community and commerce - holistically as areas that need to be balanced.

In this first issue of the Zeitz Foundation newsletter, we hope to draw your attention to important events such as the Laikipia and Beyond Unity Cup. This football tournament is about a lot more than kicking a ball around, it is about promoting environmental awareness and unity through sport.

This newsletter will tell you about our work this year, give you updates from the Long Run Destinations and open a window into the minds of two of our Ambassadors, Usain Bolt and François-Henri Pinault. As with all ‘first issues’, this is a starting block and we look forward to your feedback and contributions to shape and improve the way we keep you in the loop!

Best regards, Jochen Zeitz

To access the newsletter, please click here.

Business to power green economy

The fourth Business for the Environment (B4E) Global Summit held from 22 to 23 April 2010 in Seoul saw CEOs, senior executives of multinational corporations, leaders from government, international agencies and NGOs discuss “Powering growth for the global green economy”.

During a roundtable entitled ‘Green Business: A New Growth Engine for the Planet’, Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA and founder of the Zeitz Foundation, emphasized the role of the consumer in choosing sustainable products, and noted that companies have a responsibility to educate the consumer by translating their green messages into understandable terms and discussed PUMA’s innovative initiatives in doing so. He highlighted that innovation requires the courage to surrender certainty and that companies should use the goal of sustainability to drive innovation.

He further called for collaboration on standards among companies, NGOs and government. In this sense, the Zeitz Foundation’s Global Ecosphere Retreat Certification system does just that. As a driving force in promoting and developing sustainable thinking around the globe, the certification ensures that best practices in sustainability are adhered to and innovative approaches experimented with, whilst drawing on and incorporating other standards, such as the Fair Labor Association for labor standards or the Tourism Sustainability Council for eco-tourism operations.

On Thursday afternoon, CNN’s Anna Coren hosted a televised edition of Earth’s Frontiers shown at 8.30pm HKT during which Zeitz underscored that business will be part of the solution to climate change. Other panellists, including, Changhua Wu from The Climate Group, Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, and filmmaker James Cameron, gave their perspective on leading the world towards a low carbon future.

The B4E’s goal was to consider the outcome of the fifteenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and discuss the role of business in realizing a low carbon future.

In closing on Friday afternoon, participants agreed that the conference had produced fruitful discussions and defined business solutions for environmental problems and a range of new environmental strategies, approaches and innovations, such as incorporating development objectives and embracing new models of water management.

The meeting saw agreement on expanding sustainable procurement and green supply chains, and on promoting longer-range investment horizons incorporating environmental and sustainability considerations. Corporate biodiversity strategies that recognize the value of ecosystems to economies and societies were also adopted.

Launch of the Zeitz Foundation and the Long Run

When a local daily carried a front page picture with the caption “Usain Bolts into Kenya” on the same page with “32 ministers still cling to their prestige limousines” not many people in Laikipia took any notice. But in the next four days Laikipia was constantly in the news as the land of endless horizons, affable people and spectacular wildlife played host to arguably the most recognizable face of modern sport, Usain Bolt. As the fastest man on earth enjoyed his first game drive, Laikipia also staked a claim as a “must visit” for anyone who enjoys a wilderness experience.

But what was the sprint king doing in the land of long distance runners? The likeable and down to earth man from Trelawney Parish in Jamaica was in Kenya as Ambassador for the Zeitz Foundation’s ‘Long Run’ initiative. Founded by Jochen Zeitz, the Chairman and CEO of Puma AG, the foundation is inspired by a vision of the Ecosphere – our planet and all of its life-sustaining regions – maintained in the healthiest possible state, and is committed to promoting an inclusive, holistic paradigm of conservation that enhances livelihoods and fosters intercultural dialogue.

Through the Long Run, which encompasses 9 Long Run Destinations globally, the Zeitz Foundation is aiming to demonstrate that working toward ecosphere safety can be economically viable if a balance between conservation, community, culture, and commerce is achieved. Segera Ranch is one of these 9 Destinations. Asked why he agreed to be global Ambassador for the initiative, Bolt says "I was attracted to the Long Run because I share its objectives on the conservation of the environment and co-existence of different cultures."

Laikipia being the melting pot of Kenyan cultures, Bolt was not disappointed for the two days he interacted with the locals. On Saturday the 31st October, after a game drive at Segera Ranch, the Kenyan headquarters of the Zeitz Foundation, he was made a Maasai moran and aptly named Loingwany. After an hour of dancing Maasai warrior style Loingwany Bolt was heard telling Collin Jackson, a former Olympic 110 meters hurdles champion and the Zeitz Foundation’s Specialist for Sport “These Maasai men can dance, man! It is like a gym workout.” That dance was perhaps a warm up for the following day as school children gave Bolt and other invited guests from Laikipia a proper cultural “workout” though dance and poetry recital after a luncheon hosted by Mr. Zeitz for local leaders.

The finale of the launch was a showing of HOME movie by celebrated French filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The thought provoking movie shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet. As the narrator says in the movie, we cannot afford to be pessimistic, each of us has role to play in bringing about ecosphere safety and that is the message of the Zeitz Foundation.

Usain Bolt, Colin Jackson and Jochen Zeitz receive warm welcome in Kenya during launch of Zeitz Foundation

Nairobi, 2 November 2009 - Usain Bolt, Colin Jackson and Jochen Zeitz, in Kenya as part of the official launch of the Zeitz Foundation and The Long Run initiative, were enthusiastically received in Nairobi on Friday. During their 4-day visit to Kenya and to Segera, one of the nine Long Run Destinations, they experienced Kenya’s rich heritage and environment culminating in Bolt and Jackson being made honorary Maasai warriors and adopting endangered wildlife.

During the press conference on Friday that was attended by more than 100 journalists and camera teams, Usain Bolt said, “This is my first visit to Kenya and to Africa. I am excited to be here and I am looking forward to seeing more of Kenya over the coming days, in particular to visit Segera Ranch in Laikipia.”

Segera is part of the global alliance of nine Long Run Destinations around the world that are committed to become ecologically and socially responsible Global Ecosphere Retreats and to protect the integrity of local ecosystems and the cultures and people living within them. The Long Run initiative intends to provide and build sustainable, mostly tourism driven enterprises, community development and cultural stewardship. As the inaugural initiative by the Zeitz Foundation, The Long Run is a practical approach to a sustainable way of living and is endorsed by sprint superstar Usain Bolt and Colin Jackson, former world champion and BBC sports commentator, who act as Ambassador and Specialist for the Zeitz Foundation in order to support its aims and spread its message.

At Segera, Usain and Colin enjoyed a game drive that brought them close to groups of elephants and giraffes and dozens of zebra. “Seeing these animals in their natural environment is an amazing experience. The tranquillity of the place is something very special and its an honor to be a part of The Long Run to ensure that it is protected and continues to exist in this state,” said Colin Jackson. Later on, in a ceremony with twelve local Maasai, the two athletes were made honorary Maasai moran or “warriors” and received the traditional Shuka dress and stick. Both proudly participated in the traditional dancing and chatted with the moran about their culture. A group of local school children joined them on Sunday to watch the movie HOME at Segera Ranch. Jochen Zeitz, Founder of the Zeitz Foundation, said “It means a lot to me to see these children here at Segera and to introduce them to this wonderful movie from Yann-Arthus Bertrand. Its message is so important and we will continue to communicate it beyond today’s event.”

On Monday, Bolt, Jackson and Zeitz had an audience with H.E., the Honorable President Kibaki and senior ministers, who warmly welcomed the party to Kenya and encouraged them to enjoy the wonderful sights and wildlife that Kenya has to offer. At a ceremony attended by the Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Odinga, Bolt, the world’s fastest man, fittingly adopted a cheetah, the fastest animal on land, and Jackson adopted an eland antelope. At the ceremony, Zeitz was made an Honorary Warden of Kenya and a Trustee of the Kenya Wildlife Service Endowment Fund. A game drive in Nairobi National Park concluded the day. Jackson commented, “It has been an impressive trip. I have been to other African countries but I have never seen so many elephants. My only regret is that it has been too short, and I am certain I will be back soon.”

Zeitz Foundation Launches Website Today May 6, 2009

Over the years, I have come to believe that if each of us were to find new ways to translate our passions into meaningful connections and make a contribution, whether small or large, towards achieving not only personal but larger social and environmental goals, then the world can undoubtedly change for the better. It is with my Foundation, whose aim is to work towards sustainability, that I endeavor to do my part. I chose today, May 6, to go live with my Foundation website as it marks the 150^th anniversary of Alexander von Humboldt’s death in 1859. "As a scientist and explorer, he was the first to see the world as a whole: He discovered that all aspects of the world are intertwined…and that ecology and sustainability are the essential topics for the survival of our modern world" (The African Times, April, 2009). The Foundation and the work we aim to achieve are inspired by a vision of our ecosphere—our planet and all of its life-sustaining regions—in the healthiest possible state and it is my hope that it will inspire you, too. For more information about our work and projects, please visit www.zeitzfoundation.org.

- Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and Founder
The Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety