The Leading Speakers Bureau

The Industrial Revolution, powered by oil and other fossil fuels, is spiraling into a dangerous endgame. The price of energy and food is climbing, unemployment remains high, the housing market has tanked, consumer and government debt is soaring, and the recovery is slowing. Facing the prospect of a second collapse of the global economy, humanity is desperate for a sustainable economic game plan to take us into the future.

Here, Jeremy Rifkin ( keynote speaker )explores how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create a powerful “Third Industrial Revolution.” He asks us to imagine hundreds of millions of people producing their own green energy in their homes, offices, and factories, and sharing it with each other in an “energy internet,” just like we now create and share information online.

Rifkin describes how the five-pillars of the Third Industrial Revolution will create thousands of businesses and millions of jobs, and usher in a fundamental reordering of human relationships, from hierarchical to lateral power, that will impact the way we conduct business, govern society, educate our children, and engage in civic life. Rifkin’s vision is already gaining traction in the international community. The European Union Parliament has issued a formal declaration calling for its implementation, and other nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, are quickly preparing their own initiatives for transitioning into the new economic paradigm.

The Third Industrial Revolution is an insider’s account of the next great economic era, including a look into the personalities and players — heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs — who are pioneering its implementation around the world. Impeccably argued…a compelling and cogent argument to overhaul our society and economy in favor of a distributed and collaborative model.

Publishers Weekly

Rifkin connects the two defining technologies of the 21st Century — the Internet and renewable energies — giving us a powerful new economic vision for the future. As we look to regrow the economy, generate millions of jobs, and create a sustainable future for our children, the Third Industrial Revolution offers an indispensable roadmap.

Arianna Huffington—President and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group

Mr. Rifkin clearly outlines the challenges facing our global community, and creates a vision for business leaders, government and citizens.

John Chambers — Chairman and CEO, Cisco

The creative thinking of Jeremy Rifkin has been inspiring policy makers and citizens alike. This book shows the key role renewables and modern technologies can play in our transition to a low-carbon economy.

José Manuel Barroso—President of the European Commission

This is a remarkable piece of work from one of the foremost thinkers of our time…

Rifkin has come up with a visionary and innovative economic development model that ensures the sustainability of our natural resources and ecosystems.

Rajendra Pachauri—Chairman, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

A brilliant new economic paradigm to guide the human journey in the 21st century. Jeremy Rifkin’s comprehensive Third Industrial Revolution vision, which is the enterpiece of Rome’s long-term economic development plan, provides a blueprint for every city in the world to create a sustainable and prosperous society.

Gianni Alemanno—Mayor of Rome

More than thought provoking… a call for action to policy makers and business leaders to embrace the opportunity of a society and economy driven by sustainable innovation and powered by renewable and distributed energy.

Rudy Provoost—CEO, Philips Lighting

A provocative strategy for transforming the global energy system. This book may help frame the social and economic solutions for the 1.5 billion poorest people who lack access to clean, reliable and effi cient energy services.

Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella—Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization, Chairman UN Energy

Jeremy’s intellectual rigor, combined with lively and engaging prose, has produced a timely and important work on how to diversify our energy sources in order to create a world in which people can live well and within the limits of the planet.

Björn Stigson—President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development

As the chairman of a global real estate services company, I’m convinced that Jeremy’s vision of rethinking buildings as green “micro-power plants” is the future. But to do this, we need the courage to act quickly and lay the foundation for the Third Industrial Revolution. So let’s get on with it.

Bruce Mosler—Chairman, Cushman & Wakefi eld Global Brokerage

Very compelling…while many experts focus on how to transform our energy systems, few offer such a comprehensive economic vision and social roadmap as Jeremy Rifkin. The “Energy Internet” will lift our world to a new plateau of economic growth, while at the same time addressing climate change and increasing our energy security…A must read.

Guido Bartels—Chairman, Global Smart Grid Federation

An exciting vision for a post-carbon society. Rifkin imbeds green transport inside a new high-tech Third Industrial Revolution infrastructure, reframing the very concept of human mobility. This could well be the future of transportation.

Alan Lloyd—President of the International Council on Clean Transportation

The old ways of creating wealth just don’t work anymore, and politicians the world over are struggling to cope with the convergence of financial meltdown, huge debt, rising commodity and energy prices, accelerating climate change, and food and water shortages. The Third Industrial Revolution presents us with a breathtakingly exciting alternative which will create the jobs, the profits and the technological breakthroughs we now so urgently need.

Jonathon Porritt—Founder Director, Forum for the Future

Jeremy Rifkin’s Third Industrial Revolution sets forth a comprehensive, realistic, technically sound, market-driven model for transitioning the global economy into a more sustainable future. Rifkin’s vision of “Distributed Capitalism” strikes a powerful chord among leading CEOs in the design and construction industries who will be tasked with turning the theory and promise of a Third Industrial Revolution into reality.

Mark Casso—President, Construction Industry Round Table

Erudite and highly entertaining…Jeremy Rifkin sees the reality of the Third Industrial Revolution overturning conventional economic theory, doing away with traditional political ideologies and redefi ning capitalism itself. This is a book no serious thinker should miss.

Stéphane Rambaud-Measson—President of Passengers Bombardier Transportation