David Shukman

Broadcaster and writer David Shukman is widely recognised as a master story-teller about the biggest environmental challenges of our time – from global warming to the loss of nature to sustainable living for the future.

Over a career that’s involved assignments to more than 100 countries, David has built up a reputation for clarity, accessibility, and narrative power. According to the BBC, where he was a senior journalist for nearly 40 years, he is “a voice of credibility and authority”, and his role in elevating the profile of climate change is described as “ground-breaking”. For most of the last 20 years, David led the BBC’s award-winning coverage of climate change earning praise for his deep understanding of the science along with a sense of fairness and pragmatism about potential solutions.

From the Amazon to the Arctic and from Bangladesh to the Kalahari, he’s been a unique witness to the devastation of communities as extremes of weather become more severe. At the same time, he’s been the target for climate deniers and sceptics accusing him of exaggerating the risks. But David has resisted his critics and seen first hand how researchers in the remotest corners of the world have gathered the evidence that human activity is indeed driving up global temperatures.

He’s had a ringside seat at the green rush of clean technologies that offer us a pathway out of the crisis – climbing giant wind turbines out at sea and filming in the booming solar panel factories of the US. And as a veteran of international climate diplomacy – the COP26 summit in Glasgow was his tenth experience of negotiations on global warming – he’s well known to the key players. Now David is working independently and wants to share his knowledge and skills as a communicator in a new effort to encourage honesty, avoid greenwash and find constructive routes forward.

Sought after as a speaker and moderator, and respected equally by business leaders and environmental campaigners, David’s goal is to bridge divides at a highly polarised time and to help the search for positive outcomes. He presents clear explanations of the latest science with a vivid anecdotal style and has a unique ability to guide the corporate world through the challenging environmental and scientific issues facing business today and enable them to make positive changes to the way they operate in order to enhance economic and environmental effectiveness.

To book David Shukman for your next event, please call 020 3500 3331 or email info@primeperformers.co.uk.