Simon Upton

Simon Upton is the Environment Director at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). The Environment Directorate is responsible for Environmental Performance Reviews of Member Countries, the economic analysis of policy instruments used to improve environmental outcomes and a wide range of work related to water, biodiversity, climate and chemicals. He has played a key role in the development of the OECD’s Green Growth Strategy.

Mr Upton is a New Zealander and former Member of Parliament. He held a variety of ministerial offices between 1990 – 1999, notably the Environment and Research, Science & Technology portfolios. He chaired the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in 1999. He chaired the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the OECD between 1998 and 2014, and became Environment Director at the OECD in 2010.

He holds a BA and LLB(Hons) degrees from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and an M.Litt from the University of Oxford. He is a Rhodes Scholar and Privy Councillor.