| May 2005 Current Location: London, England / New York, USA Chris Spence brings over twelve years' experience as a writer, editor and media and communications professional, as well as considerable expertise in the fields of international relations, climate change, and environment and development issues. After graduating with a Masters degree in Political Science, Chris began his career in 1992 as an advisor, researcher and speechwriter in New Zealand's Parliament, where he worked on policies, press statements, and other materials to assist senior politicians in communicating their messages to the media and the public. His work focused on foreign affairs, defense, transport and the environment, and he was appointed secretary for the environment and foreign affairs caucus committees. After nearly four years in this role, he moved into journalism, writing feature articles on a wide variety of issues for a major New Zealand publication, Consumer magazine, and helping make complex issues such as environmental law accessible to the widest possible audience (Consumer has a readership of nearly a quarter of a million). In 1997, he won a major New Zealand media award, the "TUANZ" prize, for his investigative reporting. He subsequently became the youngest ever Director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, a public health advocacy/lobby group, leading intensive communications and public relations work, policy development and political lobbying on behalf of the drug and alcohol sector (taking a public health perspective). This involved developing media campaigns, being a public spokesperson, and leading the development of research-based advocacy work. He also co-hosted a successful drug education conference and launched a popular website. Since 1999, Chris has worked on global environment and development issues in over 30 countries as a Team Leader and Editor for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). This has included numerous assignments managing teams of up to 15 experts for IISD's flagship publication, Earth Negotiations Bulletin--the leading source of news and analysis from major United Nations negotiations on issues such as climate change and sustainable development. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin is read by nearly 50,000 key decision makers and other experts. In recent years, Chris has also written for a variety of mainstream publications on various issues, including Emerging Markets newspaper and The Economist. He has also consulted for various international organizations and UN agencies on environmental issues on various communications, media, writing and editing assignments. This includes consulting for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) as editor of a major new book on the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, Ten Days in Johannesburg: A Negotiation of Hope, which was published to critical acclaim in September 2004. It also includes projects for the UN Environment Programme, the UN Climate Change Secretariat, Commission on Sustainable Development, and IUCN--the World Conservation Union. In early 2004, Chris was also contracted by publishing house Palgrave Macmillan to write a a major new book on climate change. Global Warming: Personal Solutions for a Healthy Planet, is due for worldwide release on July 15, 2005. In April 2005, Chris returned full-time to IISD after being appointed Deputy Director of Reporting Services. |
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| chris spence career profile |
| Chris Spence, 2004 |
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Published Books ----------------- Selection of Published Articles --------------- Media and Communications Work |