Current Students and Staff

The Criminalisation of Environmental Protest: Sir Jonathon Porritt

• 11 March 2025
• 6.30pm-8pm
• James France, CC013

About this event

As part of the University’s Sustainability Week for 2025, we will welcome Honorary Graduate Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE to campus to deliver a guest lecture.

Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE is an eminent writer and campaigner on sustainable development. Over his career, he has played a major role in helping to promote the importance of sustainability issues to government, the private sector and amongst the general public. He has provided strategic advice to leading UK and international companies to deepen their understanding of today’s converging environmental and climate crises.

He is also focused on intergenerational justice, supporting young people in their activities around sustainable development issues as they face a future defined by the twin crises of the Climate Emergency and Biodiversity Emergency.

He is President of The Conservation Volunteers and is involved in the work of many other NGOs and groups.

In 1996, he co-founded Forum for the Future, a leading international sustainable development charity, working with business and civil society to accelerate the shift toward a sustainable future.

Jonathon was formerly Co-Chair of the Green Party (1980-83) and Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90). He stood down as Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in 2009, after nine years providing high-level advice to Government Ministers.

Jonathon was awarded a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.

In his guest lecture, Jonathon will discuss the criminalisation of environmental protest, looking at instances of arrests, imprisonment and similar in cases such as Just Stop Oil in the UK and beyond.

Students and staff are all welcome to attend. There will be an opportunity for questions during the event. Please submit any questions you may have in advance.

The session will be hosted by Professor John Downey, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Climate Change and Net Zero.