E3G Founding Director John Ashton was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours, for services to international climate change. He received the award from HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, John said:
"I am immensely proud to be receiving my CBE today, the first ever for work on international climate change.
It is a recognition not only of whatever contribution I may have made, but above all of the support and encouragement I have been fortunate enough to receive over the years: from my wife Judy, my son John and my family; and from the many who have helped me, not least the outstanding teams at E3G and the FCO.
Above all, it is a reminder of the heavy responsibility on all our shoulders as we strive to build an effective response to the greatest challenge human beings have ever faced. The clock is ticking"
One of the world’s top climate diplomats, John Ashton is now an independent commentator and adviser on the politics of climate change. From 2006-12 he served as Special Representative for Climate Change to three successive UK Foreign Secretaries, spanning the current Coalition and the previous Labour Government
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He was a cofounder and, from 2004-6, the first Chief Executive of E3G. From 1978-2002, after a brief period as a research astronomer, he was a career diplomat, with a particular focus on China. He is a visiting professor at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies, and a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College.
