Summary
To mark the new millennium, this year's Reith Lectures are delivered by five different thinkers, each eminent in a different field. At the end of the run, the Prince of Wales presents his own views on the topic in a roundtable discussion with all five lecturers.
The Millennium Reith Lectures deal with one of the most pressing issues of our time - sustainable development. The third lecture is by Sir John Browne.
Sir John Browne is Chief Executive Officer of BP Amoco, Britain's largest company and the third largest oil corporation in the world. He is also a trustee of the British Museum and chairman of Stanford Business School's Advisory Council.
Speaking from Edinburgh, Sir John Browne's lecture examines business. He raises issues of stewardship and responsible management, and demonstrates how governments, industry, economy and individuals interact and interconnect in a dynamic fashion. He believes that business plays a fundamental role in delivering sustainable development through the principle of enlightened self-interest, and argues that technology is the key to tackling the growing threat of climate change without undermining economic growth.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is a podcast from the archives of the BBC Reith Lectures. |
| 0:04.4 | This lecture entitled Biodiversity in the series, Respect for the Earth, given by Thomas Lovejoy, was originally broadcast in the year 2000. |
| 0:16.1 | Good evening. The theme of these wreath lectures is respect for the earth, and our venue this |
| 0:22.2 | evening could hardly be more appropriate. The Dynamic Earth Centre at Holyrood in Edinburgh is an |
| 0:28.2 | exciting new project. It's situated directly opposite what, at the moment, is a building site, |
| 0:34.4 | but is destined to become the home of the Scottish Parliament one day. |
| 0:39.6 | The exhibitions here at the dynamic Earth cover every aspect of the environment, from the |
| 0:45.4 | oceans to the tropical rainforest. They reflect both the wonder and the fragility of our planet. |
| 0:51.8 | And how we preserve and nurture that natural heritage for future generations |
| 0:56.5 | is what we're here to address. It's appropriate too that we should be in Scotland, where Lord |
| 1:02.3 | Reith, the first Director General of the BBC and the inspiration for these annual lectures was born and |
| 1:08.1 | brought up. We're delighted that Lord Reith's daughter and two of his |
| 1:11.9 | grandchildren are in the audience tonight. We've invited some of Scotland's brightest and most |
| 1:17.4 | original thinkers and doers to join us. We hope they'll demonstrate that in their questions later |
| 1:23.1 | in the programme. This lecture series began with contributions from the politician Chris Patton and the |
| 1:29.8 | scientist Tom Lovejoy. Now it's the turn of the businessman. Sir John Brown, head of B.P. |
| 1:36.1 | Umako, is one of Britain's best-known executives. Some would say it's ironic that the head of an |
| 1:42.2 | oil company is here tonight to talk about sustainable development. |
| 1:46.9 | But Sir John has made this something of a personal mission, |
| 1:50.6 | and he is widely respected around the world as a leader in this area. |
| 1:55.5 | Now please welcome our wreath lecturer, Sir John Brown. |
| 2:12.9 | Thank you. our wreath lecturer, Sir John Brown. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. |
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