John Ashton (diplomat)

John Ashton (born 7 November, 1956) is the Special Representative for Climate Change, for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Director for Strategic Partnerships at LEAD International and is the founder and CEO of E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism).

Biography

John Ashton was born in London on 7 November 1956, and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Upon Tyne and at Cambridge University, where he read Natural Sciences specialising in theoretical physics. On graduation in 1977, he spent a year as a research astronomer at the new Cavendish Laboratory.

Foreign Office career

Ashton has spent most of his career in the Briitsh Diplomatic Service and the British Foreign Office (FCO). He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1978. From 1981-4, he served as science officer at the British Embassy in Beijing. He was head of the China desk at the FCO from 1984-86. He then spent two years seconded to the UK Cabinet Office before learning Italian and serving in the British Embassy in Rome from 1988-93. Here he carried out the first ever study for the British Government of the Mafia and the dangers it posed to British interests.

From 1993-7, he was seconded to the Hong Kong Government as Deputy Political Adviser to Governor Chris Patten, dealing with matters relating to Hong Kong's transition to Chinese sovereignty. He was closely involved in all major dealings between the UK and China concerning Hong Kong. During this period, his interest in the environment drew him towards the diplomacy of global change.

John Ashton left the Foreign Service in 2002 to found E3G, an independent not-for-profit organisation, that works in the public interest to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development.

"Climate ambassador" for the UK

In June 2006 he rejoined the FCO as the UK's "climate ambassador" for the UK Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett. Ashton was appointed as a Special Representative for Climate Change.

John Ashton is a Member of the Green College Centre for Environmental Policy and Understanding. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Climate Institute, Washington DC, and of the UK Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

He is married, to Judy; he has one son, John, and one stepson, Graham.

References

* [http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/sop2004/bios/jashton.html Biography at Columbia University, Earth Institute]

External links

* [http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/582-Building-a-politics-of-interdependence John Ashton's article on environment change at www.chinadialogue.net]
* [http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/index.shtml Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research]