Andy Pag

Andy Pag is an Eco-Adventurer and Sustainability Speaker.

For 20 years, former BBC journalist Andy Pag has been attempting unorthodox forms of sustainable travel.

From the chocolate-powered lorry which he drove to Timbuktu, to gliding on thermal winds above the Himalayas, to circumnavigating the world in a scrapyard bus fuelled only with used cooking oil he scavenged from restaurant bins along the way.

To his surprise, many of his experiments proved both successful and sustainable.

With over ten years of experience addressing events, he now gives talks live from the sailboat he lives and travels aboard, giving an honest critique of his remarkable journeys and sharing the lessons he’s learned the hard way from trying to behave sustainably in a world powered by carbon fuels, and where success is often tied to consumption.

The entertaining and inspiring tales from the road he shares and the conclusions he draws are thought-provoking for businesses and individuals wrestling with the accelerating need to address their sustainability footprint.

His talks frame the challenges of sustainability in a refreshing non-confrontational way and invite debate and new thinking among audiences.

Please note: To support organisers in reducing their event’s CO2 footprint, Andy does not use air travel to attend talks and seminars. Most of his talks are now conducted virtually, live from onboard his sailing expedition via broadband satellite internet, so book Andy now to join the crew!

The Bio-Truck Expedition:

Is it possible to drive around the world using rubbish? Apparently, it is…

Andy bought an old school bus from a scrap yard and got it running with friends’ help. He refurbished the inside into an eco-home using reclaimed materials and converted the engine to run on used cooking oil. The aim was to see if he could drive around the world using things others have thrown away.

In September 2009, Andy set off from London, heading east, and two years later, he made it back to the UK. All the fuel used had been made from other peoples’ waste sources.

As a result, Andy’s eco-projects have attracted the attention of millions worldwide as he shows how living sustainably doesn’t mean calling a halt to everyday life.

Andy Pag – Keynote Speaker:

Andy Pag has lived out more adventures than most of us care to dream of. From being shot at by Senegalese bandits to being spoilt with Farrero Roche by the British Ambassador in Athens – Andy’s travel tales are entertaining and inspiring.

After a decade of leading vehicle-based expeditions to the remotest parts of the Sahara, his encounters and experiences inspired him to change the elements of his life that were creating an unsustainable drain on the planet’s resources.

In 2007, Andy researched renewable fuel technology that could power his travels. This led to him converting 4 tonnes of waste cocoa butter into 2000ltrs of biodiesel to fuel his journey from London to Timbuktu. This expedition was independently certified as the first-ever carbon-negative expedition.

In 2008, he launched the Grease to Greece Rally. Competing teams had to drive across Europe powered only by waste vegetable oil that they scavenged from burger bars along the way.

This inspiring eco-rally has encouraged hundreds of people to try sustainable fuels in their cars.

Andy is an expert in communicating the science and sociology of sustainable energy. Still, he can also change a lorry clutch by the side of the road with a couple of old spanners and a piece of rope!

Andy’s talks combine tales of derring-do with an inspiring message that inspires us to live more sustainably.

An engaging and entertaining speaker, Andy speaks on topics such as:

• Sustainability
• The Environment
• Teamwork and engaging with Communities across Cultures
• Embracing Change
• Travel & Transport
• Being Green (It’s not easy being green)
• Science, Technology & Engineering
• Science: Can we travel without fossil fuels?

Andy tailors each talk for each event, but themes often include:

Sustainability:

Is it possible to find a practical way to travel sustainably?

Andy shares the successes and failures of his entertaining eco-adventures with a thought-provoking and uplifting undercurrent.

From turning four tonnes of waste chocolate into fuel to travel across the Sahara Desert to starting a fire under his vehicle to melt frozen cooking oil in the centre of Tehran, the lessons haven’t always been easy.

Facing a Challenge & Tough Times:

Locked up in an Indian prison over a bureaucratic mix-up, facing ten years in jail, sleeping on a cold stone floor sandwiched between a murderer and a squat toilet… Pag’s two-year journey around the world wasn’t going to plan.

Mechanical breakdowns of his Biotruck fuelled on chip fat dogged the expedition.  It almost ended when he ran out of fuel in a country where they don’t eat fries.

Andy shares the upsides of the downs in an entertaining talk that reveals his insights into staying motivated.

Teamwork & Community (Engaging with the World):

After years of trial and error, Andy embarked on an ambitious journey that was bound to end in disaster. Strangely it didn’t.

Andy puts the unexpected success of his Bio-Truck expedition down to the enthusiasm of others helping out a stranger.

He shares tales of generosity and friendship, drawing surprising conclusions about the power of Community and the secret to being invited in.