New Year’s Honours 2023: Which environmental and energy leaders are on the King’s list?

Pictured L-R: Alison Rose, Prof. Sir Partha Dasgupta, Dara McAnulty

The 2023 list for New Year’s Honours was published on Saturday (31 December 2022), with national newspapers congratulating famous faces including Queen guitarist Brian May, artist Grayson Perry and fashion designer Dame Mary Quant. There were also cheers for the Lionesses, with three players and manager Sarina Wegman making the list.

But there were also dozens of appointments for those currently working tirelessly in environmental fields across the UK and internationally.

Appointed Dame and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) was Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta. Dasgupta published, in February 2021, a landmark review of the ways in which policy and economic decision-making can be used as tools to conserve and restore nature. The review was dubbed as influential as the Stern review on climate and economics, which informed the UK’s original Climate Change Act in 2008.

Alok Sharma MP was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for his services to tackling climate change – primarily though his role as COP26 chair.

The youngest person to receive an honour this time around is Dara McAnulty, aged 18. McAnulty was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his tireless work to raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation and restoration, and also on the need for better support for autistic people. He has published books including ‘Diary of a Young Naturalist’ and ‘Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature’.

Also on King Charles’ list are several business leaders who have been recognized for showing environmental leadership in their respective sectors. Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes was made Knights Batchelor, partly for his work to steer the beverage company’s new ten-year sustainability plan including science-based climate targets. Elgin Construction’s founder Bill Robertson also made Knights Batchelor, with the King noting the firm’s work on the ‘COP26 House’.

Elsewhere, NatWest Group’s first female chief executive, Alison Rose, received a DBE and her advocacy for halving the climate impact of its financial activities this decade was noted.

Below, edie rounds up the other sustainability advocates and leaders on the New Year’s Honours list.

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)

Dawn Childs – former UK Change Director, National Grid

Virginia McKenna – Born Free Foundation co-founder, animal welfare campaigner

Knights Batchelor

Professor Ian Trevelyan Chapman – chief executive, UK Atomic Energy Authority

Dr Martin Read – Chair, Low-Carbon Contracts Company and Electricity Settlements Company

Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)

Dr Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer at the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debra, for services to public health (campaigner on air quality)

Andrea Ledward – director of international biodiversity and climate, Defra

Tanya Steele – chief executive, WWF UK

Joseph Breen – lately senior scientific officer, Defra (Northern Ireland)

Susie Burrage – managing director, Recycled Products Ltd

James Scott – director, Forest Carbon

Alexandra Jones – director of science, research and innovation, BEIS

Clara Barby – lately chief executive officer of the Impact Management Project

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

James Alexander – chair, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and chair, Finance Earth

Dr Robert ‘Roy’ Anderson – freelance consultant, former editor of the Journal of Conchology

Claire Louise Bell – flood and coastal risk manager, Environment Agency (for services to gender equality in the workplace)

Martin Dorey – founder, 2 Minute Beach Clean

Matthew Frith – urban ecologist and director of policy and research, London Wildlife Trust

Professor Barney Lerner – chair, Friends of Bradford’s Becks and trustee, Aire Rivers Trust

Jaspal Singh Mann – director, Simply Shred and Recycle Ltd

Paula Margaret Matthews – farmer

Simon Mundy – lawyer, Defra

Michael Smyth – chair, Energy4All

Maxwell Ayamba – founder, Sheffield Environmental Movement

David Foster – chief executive officer, Milton Keynes Parks Trust

John Philip Lord = chair, Ribble Rivers Trust

Patrick Glass – chief islander, Tristan da Cunha

Robert Schofield – senior UK overseas territories officer, RSPB

Nicola Taylor – national coordinator, Fashion Revolution Scotland

Elliot Lancaster – ambassador, GEN UK

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Thomas Charles Williams – director, Legs4Africa

Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian – managing director, Energy Innovation Centre, University of Sheffield

Jane Chellian-Manning – policy lead for the marine sector, BEIS

Naomi Dee Cowan – head of climate change and energy, British Embassy Tokyo, Japan

Beverley Karen Gower-Jones – founder and chief executive, Carbon Limiting Technologies

Helen Goulden – chief executive, The Young Foundation

Sonashah Shivfasani – founder of Six Senses and founder and chief executive of Soneva