Robert Charles Swan, OBE,

FRGS The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

(born 28 July 1956) is the first person to walk to both

poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

. He is currently an advocate for the protection of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

and

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

. Swan is also the founder of 2041, a company which is dedicated to the preservation of the

Antarctic The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antar ...

and the author with Gil Reavill of ''Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth's Last Wilderness''. In November 2017, Swan undertook the South Pole Energy Challenge, the first expedition of its kind: a 600-mile journey to the South Pole with his son, surviving solely using renewable energy.

Early life and education

He was born in

Durham, England Durham ( , locally ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in the county of County Durham, Durham, England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council, the unitary authority which governs the district of Count ...

, and attended Aysgarth School and then

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, North West England. It comprise ...

(1969–1974) before completing a BA in

ancient history Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian language, ...

(1976–1979) at

St Chad's College St Chad's College is one of the Colleges of Durham University#Types of College, recognised colleges of Durham University. Founded in 1904 as St Chad's Hall for the training of Church of England clergy, the college ceased theological training in ...

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

South Pole: "In the Footsteps of Scott" (1984–1987)

''Southern Quest'' set sail on 3 November 1984 to travel the to

. The expedition stopped over in

Lyttelton, New Zealand Lyttelton ( or ''Riritana'') is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō, at the northwestern end of Banks Peninsula and close to Christchurch, on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. As a landing point ...

, to meet Bill Burton, who at 96 years old was the last surviving member of Scott's expedition in 1912. Swan's initial Antarctic expedition was thus officially dubbed "In the Footsteps of Scott". Upon arrival on the frozen continent, Swan and his team spent the Antarctic winter at the Jack Hayward Base with colleagues John Tolson and Michael Stroud. When the winter had passed, Swan, Roger Mear and Gareth Wood set out to walk to the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

. They arrived at the South Pole on 11 January 1986, after 70 days without the aid of any

radio communications Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connected t ...

or back-up support and having hauled sledges. Swan's team had achieved the longest unassisted march ever made in history. Once at the pole, they received the bad news that their ship, ''Southern Quest'', had been crushed by pack ice and had sunk, just minutes before they arrived. While welcomed by the scientists at the Pole, There was much criticism of the adventure from the US military authorities in charge of Antactica stations, who claimed they needed to rescue and fly some of the party back out to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. However, Swan returned in 1987 with a ship to collect the rest of the team at Jack Hayward Base and to remove all traces of his expedition, i.e., rubbish and remaining stores.

North Pole: "Icewalk" (1987–1989)

Three years after reaching the South Pole, Swan assembled a team of eight people from seven nations for an attempt at the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

. The Icewalk expedition team consisted of: Misha Malakhov from Russia, Rupert Summerson of the UK, Graeme Joy of Australia, Arved Fuchs of Germany, Hiroshi Onishi from Japan, Angus Cockney of the

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

, and Daryl E. Roberts of the US. Icewalk's

base camp Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sp ...

held 22 representatives from 15 nations, with the US represented by Mike Doyle and photojournalist Michael Forster Rothbart. They produced a series of educational films there and facilitated the removal of rubbish from the surrounding

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

wilderness. Swan and his team reached the North Pole on 14 May 1989. The team nearly drowned during their expedition due to the unseasonable melting of Arctic ice. Their journey made Swan the first man to walk to both the North and South poles, unassisted.

Cleaning up 1500 tons of waste from Antarctica

In 1992, Swan was invited by the United Nations to be a keynote speaker to the first

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92, Cúpula da Terra), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 ...

for

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

, in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

. In response to the world leaders' challenge to "think global act local", Swan made a commitment to deliver a global and local environmental mission involving industry, business, and young people to the next World Summit in 2002. In 1996–97, he organised a team for One Step Beyond, the South Pole Challenge. The mission was to remove and recycle 1,500 tons of waste that had been left at Bellingshausen station in Antarctica after decades of scientific research. The team worked for eight years to raise the money, plan, and execute the mission. The rubbish at the Russian base of Bellingshausen, King George Island, was cleared and the native

penguins Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

reclaimed their beach for the first time in 47 years.

The ''2041'' Yacht: from Earth Summit to World Summit to Rio

Swan's 67' foot racing yacht ''2041'' was named after the year in which the '

Madrid Protocol The Madrid System, also known as the Madrid Protocol, is the primary international system for facilitating the registration of trademarks in multiple jurisdictions around the world. It was established pursuant to the multilateral treaties ''Mad ...

' comes up for debate. The protocol, signed by nearly every nation, provides additional protection for the

Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of A ...

and designates the continent as "a Natural Reserve Land for Science and Peace". It also places a ban on mining and mineral exploration in Antarctica for 50 years (1991–2041).

Overland to the Johannesburg World Summit

In 2002, Swan and his ''2041'' sailboat embarked on the longest overland voyage in history, visiting over 30 destinations in South Africa. Beginning in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, the voyage's destination was the 2002 World Summit for

Sustainable Development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

. Swan partnered with loveLife – a charity battling AIDS in South Africa. The voyage reached out to over 750,000 young people across South Africa. During the World Summit, the 'Ice Station' exhibit was visited by 128 world leaders and 35,000 visitors, including 12,000 young people. It was awarded first prize for outstanding contribution to the World Summit. Swan was charged by the world leaders to continue his mission and report back at the next World Summit for

, ten years later, in 2012.

The Cape to Rio Yacht Race, January–April 2003

As the first step to the 2012 World Summit at Rio, Swan brought a team of young African leaders on ''2041'' for the Cape to Rio Yacht Race.

Circumnavigation of Africa, May 2003 – May 2004

Returning from the Rio, the yacht embarked on "The

Circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first circumnaviga ...

of Africa". The voyage promoted AIDS awareness, water saving, and

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

whilst visiting over 30 ports. Along the route, communities came out in force to participate in clean-up projects with the aim of improving their immediate environment. Three young men from loveLife were chosen by Swan to become the first African crew in history to circumnavigate their own continent.

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, December 2004 – January 2005

Continuing on her journey towards the 2012 World Summit, Swan entered sailboat ''2041'' in the 2004/2005 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with the world's first sails made entirely from recycled plastic (

PET A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, inte ...

) bottles. ''2041'' was crewed by industry leaders and teachers selected for their outstanding inspiration for young people. The sailboat finished 24th in the race.

The E-base and the Voyage for Cleaner Energy, 2008–2012

"The E-base Goes Live", March 2008

Powered entirely on

, Swan and a small team lived and sent broadcasts from the E-base via the internet for two weeks. It was the first time in history that a team had attempted to survive in Antarctica relying solely on

. Their mission was successful, and the team departed the continent after the allotted two weeks in good health.

The Voyage for Cleaner Energy, April 2008–2012

On 8 April 2008, the Voyage for Cleaner Energy and ''2041'' sailboat launched from

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. ''2041'' was refitted to operate entirely on wind, solar, and

biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

generated energy. ''2041'' and Swan engaged in a multi-city tour of the West Coast of the US to highlight

and engage the youth of the world to take positive steps toward renewable,

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

practices. 8 April 2008 was officially deemed "Robert Swan Day" in San Francisco at the request of Mayor Gavin Newsom.

'2041' and Team Inspire International Antarctic Expeditions (2003–present)

International Antarctic Expeditions, 2003–2022

Swan led the first corporate expedition to Antarctica in 2003. The expedition members witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change in Antarctica. They were tasked by Swan to become leaders in sustainability upon their return home. The expeditions include leadership development, climate change training, sustainability education, and training on Antarctica. In addition the expeditions teach participants the benefits and need to ensure the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty remains as it is - a protocol that puts aside Antarctica for peaceful purposes and scientific research. It could potentially be modified or amended between the years 2041 and 2048. The expeditions continue on a near-annual basis, with the most recent held in March 2022. On the 2018 International Antarctic Expeditio
Team Zayed
(Mariam Al Qassimi, Rashed Al Zaabi and Winston Cowie) representing the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...

lit up the Antarctic sky with a solar light show, writing a message in solar lights to the world on climate change and plastic. The solar light show, with Swan and his son Barney present, inspired the award-winning documentary ''Zayed's Antarctic Lights''. The 2022 International Antarctic Expedition was the largest yet and a collaboration between Swan's NGO '2041' and Swan's son Barney's NGO 'Climateforce'. The expedition left from Ushuaia, South America, on board the vessel the 'Ocean Victory', with 177 participants from 37 countries in attendance. Winston Cowie was the Program Director of the 2022 International Antarctic Expedition.

Climate Force Challenge (2017 to 2025)

The goal of the Climate Force (CF) challenge is to reduce 360 million tonnes of before the year 2025. Working directly with businesses, communities, and students to promote sustainable development, Swan and his son Barney continue to manage expeditions as a platform to accelerate impact. *South Pole Energy Challenge: ''12 November 2017 – 15 January 2018'' *IAE Antarctica '18: ''27 February – 12 March 2018'' *Mt. Kilimanjaro '19: ''28 February – 10 March 2019'' *Arctic '19: '' 15 – 25 June 2019'' *Last Degree: '' 1 – 15 January 2020'' *Undaunted: ''24 December - 10 January 2023''

South Pole Energy Challenge, and Last 300 Expeditions

In November 2017, Swan undertook another expedition to the South Pole with his son Barney, on a mission known as the South Pole Energy Challenge (SPEC). This father and son team set out to ski a 600-mile journey surviving solely on renewable energy, a first in polar-exploration. Carrying everything on their sledges, they used NASA designed solar ice melters, biofuels made from waste, lithium batteries, and passive solar flasks for survival. Additionally, they planted 2,000 trees to make the logistics and operations of the expedition carbon positive. Swan planned to undertake a mission to complete his 35-year-old goal of crossing the entire Antarctic continent in January, 2022.

Awards, honors and publications

* 1987 ''In the Footsteps of Scott'' published by Jonathan Cape, authored by Swan and Roger Mear * 1988 Swan was awarded the Polar Medal by Her Majesty

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

* 1988 ''Destination: Antarctica'' published by Scholastic, Inc. * 1989 Official Flag Bearer for the

Explorers Club The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...

of New York to the

(USA) * 1989 Appointed

United Nations Environment Program The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...

Goodwill Ambassador (

UNEP The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

) * 1990 Winner of the United Nations Global 500 award * 1990 ''Icewalk'' published by Icewalk Features * 1992 Appointed United Nations Education/Science and Cultural Organization Goodwill Ambassador with Special Responsibility for Youth (

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

) * 1992 Visiting Professor of the School of Environment,

Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univer ...

(UK) * 1993 Founded the Robert Swan Foundation – a registered charity for the promotion of youth and scientific endeavours in the environment * 1993 Doctorate of Letters, The

Robert Gordon University Robert Gordon University, commonly called RGU (), is a public university in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It became a university in 1992, and originated from an educational institution founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon (philanthrop ...

(UK) * 1994 Appointed Special Envoy to the Director General of

* 1995 Awarded OBE by Her Majesty

* 1998 Smithsonian Award for the Information technology in Education & Academia (USA) * 2000 Honorary Member of the Amstel Club,

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

* 2000 ''2041: The Voyage South'' published by Hayloft Publishing * 2002 Vice-President of the Countryside Management Association (UK) * 2005 Awarded ' Freedom of the City of London' * 2005 Elected, by membership vote, Honorary President of the '

Ski Club of Great Britain The Ski Club of Great Britain is a not-for-profit recreational snow sports club. It was founded on 6 May 1903 during a meeting at the Hotel Café Royal in London. Until the 1960s, the Ski Club of Great Britain was responsible for British Alpine s ...

' * 2006 Honorary Fellow at St. Chad's College,

(UK) * 2008 torchbearer of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay in

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia * 201
TED Talk:
Let's save the last pristine continent for TEDGlobal 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * 2015 Winner of the Humanitarian Innovation Lifetime Achievement Award * 2017 Winner of UN NOVUS Award for contributing to 17

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

(SDG) * 2017 Elected (one of thirty members) to the Helena Group

References

External links

robertswan.com

2041 Foundation

Robert Swan Biography

Robert Swan Speaker profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, Robert 1956 births Living people Alumni of St Chad's College, Durham Boardman Tasker Prize winners English explorers 20th-century English scientists 20th-century British explorers British explorers of Antarctica 21st-century English scientists 21st-century British explorers Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Aysgarth School People educated at Sedbergh School Recipients of the Polar Medal