Just Earth - Choosing social and environmental good for future generations
Posted on Wednesday 17 December 2025
Dr Juniper is a renowned environmentalist, Chair of the British Government’s official conservation agency Natural England and a Fellow with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. His books include the multi-award winning What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? and Harmony, which was co-authored with His Majesty King Charles III.
His latest book, Just Earth, explores the topics explored in his lecture. Tony argued that in a time of climate and nature crises, the answer to how people can lead good lives without ultimately hastening global collapse, lies in fairness. He presented a vision for real, lasting and positive change, based on greater equality, innovative thinking, empowerment of communities and transformation of governance and financial systems.
Drawing on interviews with globally renowned experts as well as his own 40 years experience of research, influence, campaigning and advocacy, Tony presented a series of actions that could play a part in transforming our environment for future generations. He explained the need for a genuine progress indicator to replace GDP, that considers fairness, happiness and environmental condition. He called for a transformation of governance and financial structures so that social and environmental good rather than profit is the main incentive. He explained how pension funds could be reinvested to take care of the well-being of people in the future, and how government subsidies could be used to de-risk investments in environmental and social benefit.
Tony’s talk chimes with growing calls for prioritising environmental and social good, and considering the well-being of future generations instead of prioritising economic growth. Perhaps his most important message - one which resonates with LCAB’s own mission and vision - is that the governance structures that have led to the combined ecological, environmental and social crises were created by people, and we have the power to reinvent them.