# Jan Wright

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{{short description|New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Dame Jan Wright
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|DNZM|CRSNZ}}
| image               = Jan Wright DNZM (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Wright in 2023
| birth_name          = Janice Claire Wright
| order               = 3rd
| office              = Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
| term_start          = March 2007
| term_end            = October 2017
| predecessor         = [Morgan Williams](/source/Morgan_Williams_(ecologist))
| successor           = [Simon Upton](/source/Simon_Upton)
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| birth_place         = 
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| party               = 
| other_party          = <!--For additional political affiliations-->
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| module              = {{Infobox scientist |embed=yes
| fields              = Public policy
| workplaces          = 
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| alma_mater          = [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University)
| thesis_title        = Investments that save lives: the norms of environmental and medical decision making
| thesis_url          = http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990075366480203941/catalog
| thesis_year         = 1997
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}}
'''Dame Janice Claire Wright''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|DNZM|CRSNZ}} was New Zealand's third [Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment](/source/Parliamentary_Commissioner_for_the_Environment). She was sworn in as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for a five-year term on 5 March 2007, and was reappointed for a further five years in 2012.

Wright has a Physics degree from the [University of Canterbury](/source/University_of_Canterbury), a master's degree in Energy and Resources from [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley), and a PhD in Public Policy from the [John F. Kennedy School of Government](/source/John_F._Kennedy_School_of_Government). Prior to her current role, Wright taught at [Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate](/source/Sir_Edmund_Hillary_Collegiate) in [Ōtara](/source/%C5%8Ctara),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/82343955/National-Portrait-Sweet-but-steely-Environment-Commissioner-Jan-Wright|title=National Portrait: Sweet but steely – Environment Commissioner Jan Wright|work=Stuff.co.nz|date=6 August 2016 |accessdate=9 March 2018}}</ref> worked as an independent policy and economic consultant for many different NZ government agencies and as a member of various [Crown entity](/source/Crown_entity) boards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who is the Commissioner? |url=http://www.pce.parliament.nz/about-us/who-is-the-commissioner/ |publisher=Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment |access-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113095111/http://www.pce.parliament.nz/about-us/who-is-the-commissioner/ |archive-date=13 November 2011 }}</ref>  She was the board chairman of [Land Transport New Zealand](/source/Land_Transport_New_Zealand), and in that role was the presenter of the 2005 [Cycle Friendly Awards](/source/Cycle_Friendly_Awards).<ref>{{cite web |title=2005 Cycle Friendly Awards |url= http://can.org.nz/2005/cycle-friendly-awards |publisher=[Cycling Advocates' Network](/source/Cycling_Advocates'_Network)|accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref>

In her role as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Wright has criticised the Government a number of times for its policies towards the environment. In 2013 she criticised planned amendments to the [Resource Management Act](/source/Resource_Management_Act_1991), saying it "is not, and should not become, an economic development act".<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.3news.co.nz/RMA-not-economic-tool---watchdog/tabid/1607/articleID/288609/Default.aspx | work= 3 News NZ | title= RMA not economic tool – watchdog | date= 1 March 2013 | url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1303/S00001/proposed-changes-unbalance-rma-environment-commissioner.htm |work=Scoop.co.nz | title=Proposed changes unbalance RMA – Environment Commissioner| date=1 March 2013}}</ref> In 2012 she said changes to the [Emissions Trading Scheme](/source/Emissions_Trading_Scheme) would cost New Zealand in the long-term, criticising concessions made to big business.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Dismay-over-agriculture-exemption-from-ETS/tabid/1160/articleID/273479/Default.aspx | work= 3 News NZ | title= Dismay over agriculture exemption from ETS | date= 20 October 2012 | url-status= dead }}</ref> Earlier in 2012 she said the Government had "dropped the ball" on the environment.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-dropping-ball---environment-commissioner/tabid/1160/articleID/255881/Default.aspx | work= 3 News NZ | title= NZ 'dropping ball' – enviro commissioner | date= 29 May 2012 | url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6998213/Failure-to-act-in-20-years-since-Rio-vows |work=Stuff.co.nz | title=Failure to act in 20 years since Rio vows | date=28 May 2012}}</ref>

Wright retired from the Commission at the end of her second term. She was replaced by former [Environment Minister](/source/Minister_for_the_Environment_(New_Zealand)) and [OECD](/source/OECD) Environment head [Simon Upton](/source/Simon_Upton).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/328759/upton-to-be-parliamentary-commissioner-for-the-environment|title=Upton to be Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment|date=13 April 2017|work=Radio New Zealand|access-date=24 April 2017|language=en-nz}}</ref> In April 2018, Wright was announced as a member of the [Interim Climate Change Committee](/source/Interim_Climate_Change_Committee), set up while a formal Climate Change Commission was established under the proposed Zero Carbon Act.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/interim-climate-change-committee-announced|title=Interim Climate Change Committee announced|work=The Beehive|access-date=21 July 2018|language=en}}</ref> In 2018 Wright became chair of conservation project Te Manahuna Aoraki.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-05 |title=Dr Jan Wright - Te Manahuana Aoraki Project |url=https://www.temanahunaaoraki.org/our-story/our-people/dr-jan-wright/ |access-date=2022-06-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Wright is a Companion of the [Royal Society of New Zealand](/source/Royal_Society_of_New_Zealand).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org.nz/who-we-are/our-people/our-companions/view-our-companions/|title=List of Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand|last=|first=|date=|website=royalsociety.org.nz|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref> In 2012, she was conferred with an [honorary Doctor of Science degree by Lincoln University](/source/List_of_honorary_doctors_of_Lincoln_University_(New_Zealand)).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://livingheritage.lincoln.ac.nz/nodes/view/230 |title=Graduation Programme |year=2012 |publisher=Lincoln University |accessdate=14 January 2020 |page=38}}</ref> In the [2023 New Year Honours](/source/2023_New_Year_Honours_(New_Zealand)), she was appointed a [Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit](/source/Dame_Companion_of_the_New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit), for services to the state and the environment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2023 |title=New Year honours list 2023 |date=31 December 2022 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=31 December 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Commons category|Jan Wright}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Jan}}
Category:Living people
Category:University of Canterbury alumni
Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Category:Officers of the Parliament of New Zealand
Category:New Zealand women scientists
Category:UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources alumni
Category:Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Lincoln University (New Zealand) alumni
Category:New Zealand schoolteachers
Category:New Zealand economists
Category:Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jan Wright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wright) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wright?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.