Emily Sutton

Biography

I have worked in the private, public, and third sectors as a senior legal adviser, advocate, and organiser on climate, energy and environmental issues. My focus has been on tracking, analysing, and advising on legal and regulatory developments that are relevant for climate and nature.

I have worked at the New Zealand Law Society as a law reform and advocacy adviser, at an international law firm based in London in an ESG knowledge role covering climate change and nature loss from a business and investor perspective, and am currently with the UK civil service in energy.

Through the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, I’ve participated in the international green movement. I attended an international meeting in South Korea in summer 2023, and the UN Conference of Parties in Dubai later that year.

I hold a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in history and politics from the University of Otago, New Zealand (with an exchange semester at the University of Western Ontario, Canada). I also have qualifications from the Oxford Said Business School and the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment on the role for business in the climate emergency, and the British Institute of International Comparative Law on business and human rights.

I grew up in a rural village in Lincolnshire and have family in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand when I was 13, where I lived, learned and adventured for 16 years! I learned so much about the importance of nature while living in Aotearoa and visited many wild places. I’ve also lived within a city environment, and credit that experience with a nuanced appreciation of the value of wild places within a human-made landscape.

I’m excited to contribute to the work of the John Muir Trust, and bring a focus on engaging younger and future generations in the mission to value and protect wild places.

In 2024 I completed two long distance walks – the Abel Tasman National Park Great Walk in New Zealand, and the Camino de Santiago through Portugal and Spain.

Member since

2024