John Ashton (diplomat)

John Ashton CBE (born 7 November 1956) was the Special Representative for Climate Change at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) from 2006 until June 2012, Director for Strategic Partnerships at LEAD International, and is the founder and CEO of Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G).

John Ashton was born in London on 7 November 1956, and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, 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.

John Ashton joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1978 and spent two years at the FCO in London. In 1980, he was sent to Hong Kong as a Language Student. From 1981-4, he was posted as Third Secretary later Second Secretary to the British Embassy in Beijing, where he served as science officer. He was China desk officer at the FCO from 1984-86. As First Secretary, he was seconded to the UK Cabinet Office from 1986-88. Ashton was then posted to the British Embassy in Rome until 1993, where 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, John Ashton 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 climate change. In 1998 he became Head of Environment, Science and Energy Department (ESED) in the FCO; which he then took the initiative in 2000 to restructure as Environment Policy Department (EPD) in 2000.

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