Planet C Conference 2024

Helen Taylor is the Founding Director of One Blue Marble Ltd (OBM), an organisation dedicated to advancing environmental missions. OBM offers project management, partnership development, campaign management, advocacy, and awareness raising by leveraging Helen’s extensive networks in the food industry, environmental businesses and charities, policy makers, young activists, funders, and key influencers.

Helen's journey began as a Food Technologist, working with leading food industry brands before transitioning to the Soil Association. There, she led the certification of food, beauty, and textile products according to the organisation’s stringent organic standards. She also managed a Business Development function to support organic farmers, growers, and food companies in securing their markets, and later spearheaded the charity’s conferences, campaigns, public events, and fundraising activities.

In 2010, Helen joined Dale Vince at Ecotricity, “Britain’s Greenest Energy Company,” as an ambassador. In this role, she advanced the company’s mission to create a ‘Green Britain’ by managing campaigns, events, key partnerships, and charitable functions. She played a pivotal role in transforming Dale’s football club, Forest Green Rovers FC (FGR), into the ‘greenest football club in the world’ (FIFA) and became one of the first female CEOs in football when appointed as CEO of FGR in 2017, leading the club’s transition into the English Football League.

In 2018, Helen founded One Blue Marble Ltd. She continues to support Dale, Ecotricity, and FGR, while overseeing charity development activities for the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (formerly Sea Shepherd UK), dedicated to protecting ocean habitats and wildlife.

Helen also manages the Green Britain Foundation, oversees projects for the Ministry of Eco Education and the Young Green Briton Awards, and serves as a director of Catalyse Change.

Her driving force is to make a positive impact, believing that “if we all play our part, we will collectively change things for the better.”
 

 

Michael is a finance and operations professional by trade with 30 years experience, but a corporate sustainability advocate at heart.  A passion developed through his studies of carbon accounting and corporate environmental management.  He led one of the first Australian companies to carbon neutral status under an early Australian government accreditation programme.
 
Michael has extensive experience across numerous sectors including working for listed companies in the commercial sector, not-for-profits and government agencies.  In recent times he has focussed on the humanitarian sector and feels immensely proud to be able to support his passions of: living in Cornwall, advancing sustainability initiatives and helping under privileged communities, all in the one job at ShelterBox!
 
Michaels previous roles include Chief Financial Officer, General Manager Corporate Services, Director of Sustainability, Director Business Systems, and Internal Auditor. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Masters in Corporate Sustainability and a Diploma in Carbon Management.


Ed Bird Founder of Bird Eyewear

Ed is the founder of Bird Eyewear, a multi-faceted entrepreneur, chef, musician, and nature advocate. With a passion for sustainable innovation, Ed has spearheaded the creation of a pioneering eyewear brand that combines design, purpose, and environmental responsibility. The brand creates exceptional designs, often innovating their own materials for frames including bio-based acetates, renewable cork, castor beans, and repurposed aerospace alloys. Bird are the highest-scoring B Corp eyewear brand in the world, and have recently developed their own closed-loop manufacturing in the South West, utilising waste plastics from their industry. Ed's creativity and love for nature shine through in every aspect of Bird Eyewear. With a focus on making better eyewear for a better world, Ed and his team continue to push boundaries and redefine what it means to be a responsible, purpose-driven business.

Jonathon Jones Managing Director of Tregothnan



Jonathon received an OBE for services to International trade and commerce. MD of Trading at Tregothnan. Also contributes to other boards including Plimsoll Publishing, and the Heathrow Business Council. He was awarded freedom of the City of London and in China he is known as the ‘Teaman’! He writes the words first tea column, published weekly in Country Life. It all started in Cornwall when he won The Ken Thomas travelling scholarship in 1993 and went to Japan. He eventually came home and became Head Gardener at Tregothnan at the age of 25. Tregothnan has a rich history of 700 years in Cornwall. The UK’s first tea plantations were established in 1999 and are now Europe’s largest tea gardens. The award winning luxury tea brand with ‘the most British tea in history’ is a central part of its global export business, valued at over £1m per annum
www.tregothnan.co.uk
He believes there are huge opportunities to do better business, while benefitting the environment, and in his own time founded Tremap to map trees. Citizens across the world can get involved with mapping trees on the sponsored tremap app - to map every tree on earth for the first time.
www.tremap.com brings transparency to trees and is promoting the UK’s pre-eminence in environmental innovation. Tremap already has won the backing of the The Smithsonian Institute (USA), and was in India this summer, as well as virtually every European country.

Robert Groves, Environmental Advisor at Cornish Lithium

Robert is a skilled environmental and engineering geologist. With over six years of experience in the engineering consultancy sector, Robert has worked on a wide range of infrastructure projects, from small-scale developments to large-scale initiatives. Notably, he has conducted landslide assessments and monitoring in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire using conventional methods alongside drone technology, ensuring the safety and stability of critical infrastructure.
 
Transitioning into the role of Geo-Environmental Engineer, Robert focused on land stability and contamination issues, particularly in areas impacted by historical and contemporary industries across Cornwall and Devon. This role honed their expertise in assessing environmental risks and managing geotechnical challenges in complex landscapes.
 
Currently, Robert serves as an Environmental Advisor at Cornish Lithium's Trelavour Hard Rock Project, where he plays a key role within the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) team. In this capacity, Robert coordinates environmental surveys and studies integral to the project's Feasibility Study, contributing to the sustainable development of lithium resources.
 
Driven by a deep fascination with how humans interact with the natural landscape to access resources and build infrastructure, Robert is committed to advancing projects that balance resource extraction with environmental stewardship.