As a consultant with the Robertsbridge Group and previously founding director of CarbonLimited at the RSA, environmental scientist Matt Prescott is equally at home in the boardroom as out in the field, helping major companies get to grips with significant sustainability challenges. But beneath this business friendly exterior there beats a deep green heart. We ran the Green Gauge over Matt to find out more about this eco-chameleon.

What has had the biggest impact on your eco-awareness?

It was something as simple as a leaflet through the letterbox when I was 12. It was from WWF and talked about the Amazon, deforestation and habitat loss. I had an outdoors upbringing and it started me thinking about UK habitats too. It was hugely impactful and it’s not an overstatement to say that it guided my whole education process from then onwards.

What difference has that made to your life?

It changed everything of course. Gradually I came to the view that the most effective way to catalyse change is to work with people in urban communities.  I’m always asking myself a strategic question: where can I intervene to make the biggest difference? My conclusion is that it’s not chaining myself to trees, but getting in to the corridors of Westminster and Britain’s boardrooms.

What is your biggest fear for the future?

Young people are ever more detached from the natural environment. If you take the example of food, there’s little understanding of the enormous human and environmental threats lurking behind the prawns in our curry for example. Our supply chains are actually surprisingly fragile and the lack of awareness around that is worrying. There are some bright spots but we really need to see a greater valuing of natural resources among young people in particular.

And your hope for humankind?

Communities and their ability to change in response to threat. We are resilient and adaptive as human beings and I’m confident that the tide of opinion will change towards slower lifestyles which take account of the more basic things in life. There is a minority beginning to find a better balance who are becoming trendsetters in their own ways. To achieve change, I don’t think you can rely on politicians to make the right decisions. The electorate really needs to demonstrate that it’s starting to think differently without waiting for political leadership.

Who is your green hero?

I used to follow George Monbiot quite closely, but as I got older and more attracted to evidence and process (though he’s still a great agitator) I look more to Charles Secrett as a thoughtful and fine man and a really creative thinker who understands the mechanisms needed to engage corporates and government.

Do you have an eco-villain?

Bjorn Lomborg has done my head in for years. I think his approach is at best unhelpful, and at worst causes real damage because he spent too much time pedalling a false dichotomy between prioritising current and future threats.

And where do you sit on our Green Gauge (where 10 is deep green and 1 is a hint of apple)?

I’m dark green at the core, but perhaps a little paler on the outside in order to more effectively engage with people as part of my work.