BOSS Sustainability Conference

Chris Hines MBE, Hon.D.Sc.

Chris Hines has been working and campaigning for the environment for over 35 years and is known for inspiring positive change. He co‑founded and later directed Surfers Against Sewage (1990–2000), described by the BBC as “some of the Government’s most sophisticated environmental critics” and by The Independent as “Britain’s coolest pressure group.” His work contributed to major environmental improvements across the UK. He later served as Sustainability Director at the Eden Project, where he conceived and delivered “Waste Neutral,” an early circular‑economy model, and helped embed triple‑bottom‑line sustainability across the organisation. Chris has given evidence to UK Parliament, the European Commission, and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; briefed the President of the European Parliament; advised the Minister for the Environment; and appeared widely across global media including BBC World Service, Panorama, and CNN. He was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services to the environment, and Honorary Doctorates of Science from the University of Plymouth (2011) and Royal Holloway University (2025). Chris has delivered presentations for organisations including Accenture, Comic Relief, BMW Guggenheim Future Lab, the Dutch Tax Office, Bombay Sapphire, Rockstar Games, National Grid, RSPCA, RICS, the Global Surf Cities Conference, and schools across Europe. He now works with clients who share his vision for positive change, focusing on strategic planning, communications, leadership, and embedding sustainability principles within profitable business.