Ben Bartle

In a nutshell, tell us about yourself.

I recall a couple of important moments in my life that set me on my journey to where I am today and where I will be tomorrow. At age 16 I dreamed: intrigued by the intersection of the economy, nature and humanity, I wanted to make a difference and set my sights on a future in international development. It wasn’t until university that I began to realise the extent of human induced climate change, its effects and the development challenge it posed. Seeking to help those that needed it most, I plotted my journey toward providing development assistance for countries to pursue low carbon, climate resilient pathways. What do I do now: I work with a team of like minded individuals, trying to find the balance between the economy, nature and humanity in pursuit of climate change adaptation and mitigation. What will I do in the future: continue that journey and help others to follow.

What are you most proud of?

Seeing the results or direct impacts of our projects.

What are your loves?

Travel, adventure, culture, sailing, ahh New Zealand!

Who or what do you most admire?

People who are agents of change within their communities. People that unify and expand communities, challenge the status quo and business as usual scenario and create lasting benefits for others.

What drives you to do this kind of work?

Making a real difference with positive impacts across society, economy and environment.

If you were world leader, what’s the first thing you would change? 

Education – as a fundamental approach to sustainable development. As society moves into the era where working with communication, rather than working in factories or the field, will be the future for most students there is sufficient impetus to change education and how it is delivered. What is lacking is the ability to make use of the transforming power of education as one of the most important tools for eradicating poverty and as a critical pre-requisite for countries to progress on the path to sustainable development. Importantly, the process of moving from one model of schooling to another that is as yet unknown is causing both chaos and confusion as well as immense opportunity and new possibilities!

When are you happiest?

When traveling and experiencing new cultures – especially when combining the two through work!