Oxford green campaigner receives MBE in King’s Honours

Craig Simmons, 66, a veteran environmental professional and community leader from Oxford, has been appointed MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List for services to ‘charitable causes and for services to the community in Oxford’.

He served as Lord Mayor during the Covid-19 pandemic, and previously held the roles of deputy lord mayor and sheriff.

Mr Simmons said: “This honour really belongs to the many people I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside over the years – in the community, in the council chamber, and in the wider world of sustainability.

“Oxford is a remarkable place precisely because of the many people who give freely of their time, energy and resources to make it better.

“This City will always be my home and has given me much more than I could ever reciprocate.”

Based in east Oxford for nearly 30 years with his partner, Elise Benjamin, Mr Simmons has contributed to the city in numerous roles, including more than two decades as a Green Party city and county councillor.

He has also helped launch and organise several community initiatives, including the Cowley Road Carnival, the East Oxford Farmers’ Market, and the Magdalen Road Village Summer Festival.

A sustainability expert by profession, Mr Simmons spent 12 years in industry before co-founding the first European environmental footprinting consultancy, Best Foot Forward, in Oxford.

The company received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2005.

He went on to help establish Anthesis Group in 2013, which now employs more than 1,500 people in 44 offices across 22 countries.

Since retiring from full-time work, Mr Simmons has co-founded Marine Futures, focused on ocean sustainability, and this year launched Green & Grey Associates in Oxford – a network for retired professionals to contribute their expertise to environmental causes.

He has also been named a freeman of the city of Oxford and an honorary alderman of Oxford City Council.

Mr Simmons said: “I’ve been so fortunate to work on things I genuinely believe in, with people who care deeply.

“I may be a little slower than I once was, but will continue to do what I can to shine a light on the causes that matter most to those in the City.”

During his time as Oxford’s first Net Zero Carbon lord mayor, he supported organisations including Asylum Welcome and the Oxford Low Carbon Hub.

He continues to invest in local renewable energy initiatives as well as advocate for East Oxford’s many and diverse communities.

Outside of his professional and community work, Mr Simmons is a keen cyclist, amateur guitarist, and sailor, with an Atlantic crossing under his belt in 2013.