Norman Pater

CFF’s founder, Norman Pater, is passionate about driving positive environmental change and supporting the global movement towards net-zero emissions. He is aware that urgent and meaningful actions to decarbonise society and improve the natural environment need to happen now.

A Turning Point

Since meeting Al Gore in 2011, Norman has been searching for ways to reduce his own (and broader society’s) environmental footprint. He has been heavily informed by climate scientists and Project Drawdown in defining his action plans.

Making His Mark

Norman’s focus is on these key initiatives:

1. Founding the not-for-profit Carbon Farming Foundation to support farmers to regenerate landscapes and reduce carbon emissions by running holistic carbon projects on 1 million hectares of Australian Farmland by 2030
2. Delivering large-scale renewable energy to the Australian grid by assisting the Zen Energy group
3. Converting biomass and municipal waste to biofuel and biochar by working with Renergi to commercialise its unique grinding pyrolysis technologies world-wide
4. Helping build new-age industrial hubs and deliver creative solutions to transition heavy energy users to renewable energy solutions via Sunshot Industries

Norman believes it is important to be impact invested to help fund positive change. He holds equity in a diverse variety of companies. In addition to the above, these include:

• Gondwana Property
• Future Super
• Delorean Corp
• Sentient Impact Group
• Wide Open Agriculture

Norman tries to make a positive impact outside the boardroom also. This includes converting an inner-city warehouse into carbon-neutral commercial offices and commissioning a unique public art piece in the form of 7-metre-high solar PV flowers.

Life Outside the Office 

Norman is a keen cyclist, sailor, camper, kayaker, and kite-surfer.