Farewell to Teddy Goldsmith, Commission member and friend

The passing of Teddy Goldsmith, beacon of light and deeply loved friend and colleague, leaves a huge void in our lives.

He was so much to so many - joyful communicator, loyal friend, deeply committed activist and great raconteur. His keen intellect and humour never failed to impress.

Father of the ecology movement and passionate defender of the earth, he founded in 1970 the Ecologist magazine and gave the movement its name. Author of countless books and articles, he was most proud of his great philosophical discourse, The Way: towards an ecological world view.

He could always see ahead of his time and was the first to sound the alarm about climate change and to make the connection between climate change and food. The Commission’s Manifesto on Climate Change and the Future of Food Security grew out of his writings five years ago.

He brought insights and foresight, joy and laughter into our lives. He was a giant on whose shoulders we all stand. We were so privileged to have known and to have worked with him.

His passing is a huge collective loss. We will miss him enormously.

His legacy will continue on.