“The College's emphasis on inclusion, identity and diversity of thought are all qualities which have stuck with me and inevitably played a part in my award.”

The economist Sir Partha Dasgupta, whose landmark 2021 report into the economics of biodiversity warned that the world faces ‘extreme risk’ because wealth measures fail to take nature into account, is among three Johnians to be recognised in King Charles’ first New Year Honours.

Sir Partha, the Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at Cambridge and a Fellow of St John’s, is made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for services to economics and the natural environment. The rare and distinguished rank, the highest class in the Order, represents an elevation of the knighthood Sir Partha received in 2002.

The Honours list also saw recognition for Johnians Professor David Halpern, who receives a CBE for his ten-year role as What Works National Advisor, providing guidance to government on evidence-based policy making, and Colonel Andrew Geary, awarded an OBE for his work as Chief of Staff in the British Army’s 3rd Division.

The Dasgupta Review, acclaimed worldwide for its clarity and hard-hitting message, marked a culmination for Sir Partha of a long and remarkable career dedicated to the understanding of how human beings manage and consume natural resources. Born in Dhaka and brought up mainly in Varanasi, India, he studied physics as an undergraduate in Delhi before moving to Cambridge in 1962 to study mathematics and then economics.

Sir Partha, who became a Fellow of St John’s in 1985, was among the earliest researchers to identify the consequences of environmental degradation on the world’s poorest populations. By linking developmental economics and the emerging field of ecology, he helped break new ground in defining the ways in which human activity impacts the planet. His research on the effects of malnutrition on behaviour has also been integral to the establishment of new ways of measuring human wellbeing.

His independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity, commissioned by the UK Treasury, delivered a stark warning that the world must fundamentally overhaul the ways society measures economic success if it is to halt the rapid decline of biodiversity that threatens human survival. It concluded that our demands on nature far outstrip its capacity to supply them, placing ecosystems under huge and unsustainable pressure and the world at ‘extreme risk’. Radical global changes to production, consumption, finance and education were urgently needed to achieve truly sustainable economic growth and development, the report concluded.

Sir Partha’s elevated knighthood is the latest of many awards recognising the impact of his research. In 2022, Sir Partha was named as a United Nations ‘Champion of the Earth’ – the UN’s highest environmental honour - for his review’s ‘transformative’ work.

Heather Hancock, Master of St John’s, said: “To be promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire is a rare distinction, one that fully recognises Sir Partha’s seminal contribution to academic and public life.

“Professor Dasgupta has been a Fellow of St John’s College for nearly 40 years, making a much-valued contribution to the scholarly life of the College and as an inspiring teacher of our students. We warmly congratulate him and are delighted to see his extraordinary influence on the direction of economics and the future of life on earth recognised with this elevation in the King’s first New Year Honours.”

The two other Johnians rewarded in the honours list also receive the congratulations of the College. Professor Halpern, who studied at St John’s from 1988 for his PhD on the relationship between mental illness and the planned environment, received his CBE for his work leading efforts to improve the use of evidence across government. After beginning his career as a lecturer in social and political sciences at Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard, he joined the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit as Chief Analyst in 2001, before founding the Behavioural Insights Team – originally a small government unit he continues to lead as an independent global company.

The Team, known informally as the Nudge Unit, uses evidence-based understanding of human behaviour to help develop better systems, policies, products and services. Recent projects include exploring ways to redesign gambling websites to reduce harm, and applying behavioural insights to reduce commuting emissions. Professor Halpern has just completed a ten-year term as What Works National Advisor – the role his new honour recognises. He said: “I am humbled to be awarded a CBE. This honour reflects the contribution made by UK's fantastic What Works Centres to public life.”

Colonel Geary, who studied International Relations & Politics at St John’s from 2015 as a military MPhil student, was awarded an OBE in recognition of his time as a Chief of Staff in the Army’s 3rd Division. Tracing its history back to the Peninsular War in 1809 and also known as ‘The Iron Division’, the 3rd is the only British Army division at continual operational readiness in the UK.

Col Geary took up the post just as the first Covid lockdown began. He said: “We had to move quickly to provide support to the national effort but also maintain our training and readiness levels for any potential conflicts. During this time, we deployed the Divisional Headquarters for training in the US and maintained forces in Estonia and Europe.

“It was a testing and unpredictable two years which started with the outbreak of Covid and ended with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I was lucky to be surrounded by the most incredible team of people throughout and feel humbled and incredibly honoured to be recognised in this way.”

He often reflected on his time at St John’s, he added. “The College's emphasis on inclusion, identity and diversity of thought are all qualities which have stuck with me and inevitably played a part in my award.”

The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review

Published 09/01/2023

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