In 1994, Gunter Pauli established an organization called 'Zero Waste and Emissions Research and Initiatives.' The acronym was later shortened to ZERI, but 'zero waste' remains a central principle. ZERI has demonstrated in projects around the world over the past 12 years how we can do so much more with what nature provides, inspired by nature and applying a systems approach to solving problems.

Gunter Pauli is fluent in 7 languages, and has written 12 books that have been published in 15 languages. In his book "Upsizing," Mr. Pauli highlights many examples of businesses where the waste of one company has become the raw material for others. Materials others view as worthless cascade into a stream of new processes, new products, and new wealth, with companies that were previously considered unrelated clustering together. In Gaviotas, Colombia, he is working to expand their pioneering efforts of rainforest reforestation with a major corporate investment firm to grow 250,000 acres of rainforest in the next 4 years. In Japan, he established a major investment fund for growing biomimicry companies into mainstream businesses.

Gunter Pauli has also launched an educational initiative, with his book "Out of the Box." His book builds on the ancient tradition of story telling, includes 36 "fables" which teach over 1,000 key scientific and natural principles in amusing tales of animals and their behavior. Through this initiative, he highlights how each person can make a difference by the way they live their lives and contribute to the world.