Paul Hawken — Regenerating the World, One Idea at a Time

From transforming how business thinks about nature, to mapping the first global plan to reverse global warming, Paul Hawken has spent his life showing us that regeneration isn’t just possible — it’s already happening. 

As the author of landmark books like The Ecology of Commerce, Natural Capitalism, Drawdown, and Regeneration, and now Carbon: The Book of Life, Paul has inspired generations of leaders to see the economy not as something separate from nature — but as part of it. 

In this powerful episode, we explore how his vision has evolved from early entrepreneurship to global systems thinking — and what it truly means to lead for life in an age of crisis. 

💡 In this conversation, you’ll discover: 

• How listening — to people, places, and the planet — became one of Paul’s most transformative leadership practices. 
• What it takes to move from despair to agency, and how joy can become a regenerative force. 
• How leaders can reframe carbon, biodiversity, and business as interconnected pathways to prosperity. 
• The habits and mindsets that help sustain optimism after decades of environmental work. 

Throughout our dialogue, I was reminded of earlier conversations on this podcast —
👉 with Hannah Ritchie, who shared how data can fuel urgent optimism about the planet’s future: https://www.jpcourtois.com/podcast/not-the-end-of-the-world-with-hannah-ritchie 
👉 with John Elkington, whose Triple Bottom Line challenged business to account for people, planet, and profit: https://thepositiveleadershippodcast.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/17471215-rethinking-capitalism-a-conversation-with-the-godfather-of-sustainability-with-john-elkington 
👉 and with Paul Polman, who showed how courageous corporate leadership can accelerate the shift to a net-positive world: https://www.jpcourtois.com/podcast/becoming-a-courageous-leader-with-paul-polman-ex-unilever-ceo-and-imagine-co-founder

Together, these conversations reveal a truth that Paul embodies: that regeneration begins not in policy or technology, but in perspective — in the decision to see life as our ultimate stakeholder. 

🎧 Tune in to this episode of the Positive Leadership Podcast to hear Paul Hawken’s extraordinary journey — and his call to all of us to answer the question he once asked graduates: “What is the Earth asking of you?” 

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