AURELIO PECCEI, Turin, July 4, 1908 – Rome, March 13, 1984.

A figure outside the conventional norms, endowed with diverse interests, played a crucial role in the formation of the Club of Rome.
Graduate in economics in the Torino University, he joined Fiat, which sent him to China until 1939.

Upon returning to Italy, he joined the anti-fascist movement Giustizia e Libertà. He participated in the resistance until his arrest in 1944. He was tortured for 9 months and then released, immediately resuming his role in the resistance. After Liberation, the National Liberation Committee appointed him as commissioner of Fiat to organize the reconstruction of production units. He later remained an executive at Fiat, went to Argentina to build the Fiat factory, returned to Italy, and directed Italconsult, a company formed by Italian industrial groups to assist developing countries. He also directed other companies such as Olivetti, as co-chairman.

Through his writings and international relations, he developed his interests in the evolution of the future and the development of the Third World. He believed that the future should be approached with global foresight. After the failure of a conference at the Accademia dei Lincei, attended by eminent scientists from various fields, discussing with King, Jantsch, Saint Geours, Thiemann, and Kohnstamm, they decided to found something to continue propagating their ideas.

In 1968, the Club of Rome was born. Gvishiani also joined, playing an important role in disseminating these ideas within the Soviet scientific community.
Peccei wrote "The chasm ahead".

The 30 participants defined the lines of research on societal development with a focus on complexity and the synthesis of different sciences. They asked a group of MIT researchers to work on the project using predictive mathematical models to guide future actions. The study was compiled into the report "The Limits to Growth," the first comprehensive study on the topic.

The report examined the interconnections between population growth, depletion of natural resources, impact of technological innovation, and urban development.
These formed the basis of the debate on sustainable future.

After fifty years, it still serves as a fundamental guide for the debate on growth, environmental exploitation, and the possibilities of finding alternative paths.

The Club of Rome, now headquartered in Winterthur, also published "Strategies for Survival" in 1974 and the "RIO Project" in 1977. At present, it comprises 35 national associations and 100 full members, having published 45 reports so far (2022).
Continuing his work, Peccei wrote "One Hundred Pages for the Future" in 1981.



Bibliography: Enciclopedia
Treccani Turin Museum
Peccei presentation in La Stampa of Turin
www.rivistaeco.it
Wikipedia