Michael Braungart

Professor Dr. Michael Braungart is the founder and scientific CEO of EPEA (Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency). He is also the co-founder and scientific director of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry in Charlottesville, Virginia and co-founder and scientific manager of Hamburger Umweltinstitut. Braungart studied Chemistry and Process Engineering. In the 1980s, he dedicated his work to the environmental organization Greenpeace and beginning in 1982 helped to establish the chemistry section of Greenpeace International, which he took over in 1985. In the same year he received his Ph.D. from the University of Hannover’s chemistry department. In order to develop solutions for complex environmental problems, EPEA was established by Greenpeace in 1987. Ever since, Braungart has been involved with research and consultancy for eco-effective products i.e. products and production processes in a loop, not only harmless to man or nature, but beneficial. In 1994, he became professor of Process Engineering at Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany) and now holds the chair for Cradle to Cradle & Eco-Efficacy.