CISL pays tribute to renowned environmental scientist and CISL Fellow, Professor Bob Scholes

Bob was Professor of Systems Ecology at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, a Fellow of CISL, and a regular contributor to The Prince of Wales's Business & Sustainability Programme (BSP).

“I came to know Bob Scholes through the CISL work in South Africa -- frequently having the pleasure to listen to him speak. Bob imparted on me a deep appreciation of climate and system science. He was un-relenting in his pursuit of clarity, often pushing me to see beyond what I wanted to see. His passing is a huge loss to the sustainability community.” Jon Duncan  

“His love and enthusiasm for life and nature, coupled with his deep knowledge inspired me. My condolences to his family and loved ones.” Vanessa Otto-Mentz  

“I had the privilege of working with Bob on a number of the CISL BSP faculties over the past 15 years.  As I got to know Bob over the years, I was struck by a key element that in my mind spoke reams about the man: he was down to earth and accessible.  As a person Bob was engaged and interested in all he met.  His teaching style was true to the content, but understandable to all he taught, both academic and laypeople.  Importantly in the sustainability space - often prone to using fear as our early selling tactic, Bob thread a pragmatic line, quick to call out hyperbole when it was needed, but yet in a gentle and teaching way.  I will miss Bob, his smile, his jovial, fun and sometimes mischievous character." Malcolm Gray  

“I will miss Bob enormously for his wisdom, his patience and his ability to help people understand sometimes complex things that he cared deeply about. His ability to empathise with those he was teaching and to communicate those things carefully and clearly is, in my experience, a relative rarity in the scientific world. It made him both unusual and precious, and his loss all the sadder.” Will Day  

“For me Bob emulated everything required to be a leader and to ensure a future for future generations. His understanding of systems thinking, tipping points, his ability to teach others, his humility and his belief that sustainability is a human development challenge. I always had a sense we were in “safe” hands with him around. I will miss him.” Elspeth Donovan  

“For me, Bob was the model of a modern systems scientist. He relished the analytical tools his scientific training provided him, yet was always looking to grasp the larger whole, in service of working out how best humanity could repair our ecological mistakes and go forward. I had the impression he was an intellectual adventurer at heart, not the kind who goes off alone to make great discoveries, but a generous man who was always teaching as he adventured. I can’t imagine how many people, scientists and non-scientists, you touched with your great light and warmth across your long, but too short career, Bob. In your company I invariably found myself thinking of luck and privilege. Hamba kahle!” Peter Willis  

“We all learnt from Bob and he was brilliant at explaining things as a teacher. But for me Bob's greatest skill was his ability to navigate the fine line between scientist and activist with integrity and grace. He was an acclaimed scientist but also knew how to pick his intellectual fights and land a message. At a time when lots of people were urging us to be either scientist or activist, Bob showed us it was possible, even necessary, to be both.” Anton Cartwright  

“It always felt such a privilege to work with Bob, and not just because of his eminence as a scientist, but also because of his natural warmth and his modesty. He made one feel at ease. And I suspect that he was able to communicate his science so well because he was a fully paid up member of the human race, able to grasp the challenges of our species well beyond the limits of his particular discipline. He will be greatly missed.” Richard Calland  

“I must say it was such a pleasure to work with Bob. If you did not know him you would not think that Bob was a well renowned scientist who made a great contribution to advancing the science of climate change. He made his contribution and if there was a tribute one could make to him, in honour of this contribution, it would be this, that each in our small unique way would continue on the path he was on to make our world and our planet a better place for all life to live and to flourish within it.” Mashudu Ramano  

“I only intersected with Bob on two occasions in the CISL context and was struck by his ferocious intellect combined with a lightness of being and openness to the rest of the world that may not be fully explainable through his scientific expertise. This unique disposition made him a fantastic faculty member, and given who was usually in the (training) room, it was good to know that one of the world’s finest minds was on our team. He certainly had gravitas but carried it with humour and grace. Given the slow but steady alignment of debates on climate, ecosystems services, green economic recovery and a people-centred civilisation, Bob’s mind and worldly outlook is needed more than ever. He is missed and appreciated.” Edgar Pieterse