Johan Eliasch—A Formidable Force in the Race to Net Zero

Swedish-British Billionaire Builds Record of Rainforest Conservation 

By Mark Smith*

Johan Eliasch (second from left) at a tree planting with King Charles III.  ©Photographer London

He buys up whole swaths of rainforest to save them from destruction. He partners with legendary Hollywood actors to provide green energy for Indian schools. He campaigns to make the Olympic Games more environmentally friendly.

Johan Eliasch is a man who gets things done.

Having amassed a fortune in the world of business, the Swedish-British billionaire has also become a formidable force in the world of conservation. Born in Sweden in 1962, Eliasch achieved success as the CEO and chairman of sporting goods giant HEAD, with a net worth estimated to be in the region of £4 billion ($5.3 billion), according to the UK’s Sunday Times Rich List. 

While some wealthy people spend their money on yachts and cars, Eliasch spent a considerable amount of his fortune on 400,000 acres of endangered Brazilian rainforest to save it from logging and deforestation in 2005.

He is also the cofounder of Cool Earth, a charity that invests in Indigenous communities. Cool Earth has given cash to 75 communities in places like Peru, the Congo, and Papua New Guinea to enable them to resist the financial overtures of loggers who want to buy their forests.

The tribal village of Urakuza in the Peruvian Amazon receives support from Cool Earth. ©Cool Earth

According to the charity, as of 2024, a total of 99% of the rainforests where Cool Earth operates were still intact, and it had helped to protect over 2.1 million acres of rainforest and 380 million trees.

These days, it can often be de rigueur for those in high-profile roles to profess a love of conservation, but Eliasch’s is unquestionably long-standing.

Indeed, during his childhood in Sweden, he realized the world around him was changing, and that he had to try and do something about it.

In an exclusive interview, he told The Earth & I: “As a boy growing up in Stockholm, I would ski from late October to April. As the season grew steadily shorter, I became curious about the impact of climate change on weather patterns and the global policy response to that. Through reading a lot of science and speaking to many people in the climate space, the urgency of the challenge became clear.”

“As a boy growing up in Stockholm, I would ski from late October to April. As the season grew steadily shorter, I became curious about the impact of climate change.”

Following his success in business and conservation projects, his expertise led him to advise world leaders on climate-related issues. In 2007, the UK government asked him to conduct a review on the role of deforestation in climate change. The resulting Eliasch Review subsequently informed the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation framework as part of the international climate change convention.

His work has also seen him join forces with famed actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative—of which Eliasch is an advisory board member—focuses on supporting data-led projects all over the world, from financing a photovoltaic system on the roof of an Indian school to providing energy-efficient cooking stoves in Uganda.

Eliasch said his approach has always been about “practicality,” as he “prefers workshops to talking shops.”

“I was keen to see where I could make the most impact, and for me that has primarily meant involvement in rainforest conservation. Trees are quite simply the lungs of the Earth, vital to biodiversity and our global ecosystem. Hence, my involvement in rainforest preservation over the past 20 years.”

Combining Sport and the Environment

Eliasch is also a major figure in the sporting world. Since 2021, he has served as the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a council member of the Association of International Winter Olympic Federations, and a board member of the British Olympic Association.

FIS President and avid sportsman Johan Eliasch. ©Johan Eliasch

Since becoming FIS President, he has been an advocate of the Race to Zero campaign, led by Climate Champions. This project is sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc., which commits to halving FIS emissions by 2030. He also oversees initiatives like smarter venue design, athlete travel-emissions tracking, and event-level offsets through reforestation programs like the FIS Rainforest Initiative.

“As a member of the IOC’s Sustainability and Legacy Commission, we are working to ensure that future Olympic and Paralympic Games are as environmentally friendly as possible,” he said.

“As a member of the IOC’s legacy and sustainability committee, we are working to ensure that future Olympic and Paralympic Games are as environmentally friendly as possible.”

“For example, I have been advocating for the rotation of the Olympic Winter Games between permanent venues, which would mean a significant reduction in construction emissions and less waste overall.”

This year also saw him enter the race for president of the IOC, positioning himself as the climate-conscious candidate. Although he did not win, the bid was seen as a signal that environmental sustainability is now a major issue in top-level sport.

Criticisms

But there has been some criticism leveled at Cool Earth’s approach in the past, with claims of “green colonialism”—an assertion he rejects.

“The charge makes little sense in the context of rainforest preservation,” he said.

“Traditional colonialism is about ownership and exploitation; conserving rainforest is about supporting Indigenous people and preserving vital global resources for us all. Indeed, the Cool Earth strategy is to ensure Indigenous people are at the center of everything it does. They make the decisions, they decide what they need and how problems can be solved. They are, after all, the guardians of the forest and they know how to protect it far better than ‘outsiders’ do.”

Indigenous tribes like the Ashaninka of Peru are conservation experts. Cool Earth trusts them with unconditional cash donations. ©Cool Earth

In a similar vein, when the ultrawealthy set out to do good it can be met with cynicism—perhaps sometimes justifiably. The practice of “greenwashing” has gained notoriety in recent years, where wealthy people or companies promote what appears to be a pro-environment project to get good PR.

But as with most things, Eliasch’s attitude to this is a practical one.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I agree sometimes there may be ulterior motives. But if people are trying to do good—regardless of their wealth—I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“I would look at the data, look at the facts, look at the scientific or humanitarian arguments being made for the ‘good work,’ and then decide if it is worthy of support.”

He added, “Ultimately, the ‘greenwashing’ charge can only be applied if grandstanding is happening with no discernible impact being made. I would look at the data, look at the facts, look at the scientific or humanitarian arguments being made for the ‘good work,’ and then decide if it is worthy of support.”

‘Highly Concerning’ Future

But what does the future hold compared to when Eliasch first took up the fight for conservation? According to him, it’s not in a good place.

“The threats are clearly getting worse,” he said.

“It’s simple. Our planet is not designed to support 8 billion people living the way we do. Climate change is leading to extreme weather conditions, which in turn is placing pressure on food and water supply, which in turn is driving migration and conflict. The picture is highly concerning. The threats come from a lack of unified global action, based on the science.”

Despite this, he said he remains optimistic and feels Net Zero is an attainable goal in the next 30 years.

“We have the capability in terms of scientific and technological knowledge to overcome our challenges,” he said. “Mankind has achieved extraordinary things before, and I am sure we will again.”

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*Mark Smith is a journalist and author from the UK. He has written on subjects ranging from business and technology to world affairs, history, and popular culture for the Guardian, BBC, Telegraph, and magazines in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.