Meet our new Chair, Suzanne Wise

CPRE London’s new Chair, Suzanne Wise, is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie who has campaigned for the environment since her teens.

The former lawyer now has ambitious plans to boost partnerships and increase the impact of the organisation. We spoke to Suzanne about her appointment and her plans for the role.

What led you to the role of Chair of CPRE London?

I was looking for an organisation that had a focus on nature in an urban environment; one that I could see was taking action and delivering results, while influencing policy. I also wanted an organization where I liked the people and felt I could add value and that my skills and experience would prove useful. CPRE London fit my brief!

What is your background?

I am 62 and retired from my executive career in 2022.  I was living in Switzerland at the time, and moved back to London last year with my husband.

A lawyer by profession, I worked in private practice as a solicitor in my early career and then moved to work in industry.

Having worked in large corporates all my career, in the last couple of years I have worked with smaller organizations and charities, providing strategic advice and support on funding initiatives. I am also a trustee on the Global Board of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

How long have you lived in London?

I have lived in London for most of my adult life. I consider London my home, but have always lived south of the river! First in Brixton, then Clapham, Putney and Richmond. I now live in Borough, SE1.

Family is really important to me. My husband is a volunteer nearby at Citizen’s Advice. My son is 30 and lives in Brighton, so only a short train ride away. Our daughter in 28 and lives a 20 minute walk away.

I have always loved London’s multiculturalism and its green spaces. London has a lot of green space that I have made full use of.  It is tragic that when we need all our cities to be greener, these spaces can still be under threat.

Where does your passion for the environment come from?

I have always had an interest in the environment (I have been a Greenpeace supporter since I was 15). As my understanding grew, through my corporate sustainability roles and my own personal reading and development, I came to realise that all I do, both personally and professionally, has to drive climate and nature action.

I no longer fly, am now virtually a vegan (I write this on holiday in the French countryside where to eat out I have to eat cheese!) and no longer have a car. The organisations I work with or support are all focused on driving climate and nature action in some way.

On moving back to London I became a member of Greenpeace Southwark and took part in Project Climate Vote, canvassing to encourage people to consider climate policy when it comes to voting. I also started supporting a grass roots environmental charity in Bromley, Greener & Cleaner. They are an amazing small charity aiming to normalise a greener, more sustainable way of life for residents of south east London. Their drive to be inclusive and bring sustainability to all parts of the community is inspirational.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Sport has always been my passion. After I had my first child I took up running, as this was the only sport I could seem to fit in while working full time and having a family.

I ran half and full marathons and took up trail running. Trail running in the countryside, whether the South Downs or the mountains of Switzerland have been some of my happiest times.  Sadly my knees no longer permit me to run much, but I am a keen hiker.

As someone who loves sport and lived in London most of her adult life I have grown to know and value London’s green spaces. Now living in south east London (a part of London I did not know well) I am enjoying days when I set out for long walks and discover little corners of green spaces that I did not even know existed.

My nearest green space is Tabard Gardens. I was thrilled to see it already has an area set aside for rewilding as well as enough space for local families to enjoy the park and the benefits of being in nature – even with the Shard as the backdrop.

What are your early impressions of CPRE London?

The scale of the influence that the small team has is impressive. Perhaps the thing that has surprised me the most is the importance and value that the large team of volunteers bring to the charity. The charity could not achieve what it does without its team of committed volunteers, and I look forward to meeting and working with as many as possible.

What are your ambitions?

CPRE London is an organization that already punches above its weight.  It is seen as London’s leading environmental charity protecting green spaces and promoting regeneration of previously developed sites.

However it operates on a relatively limited, albeit stable, financial budget. One of my ambitions it to increase CPRE London’s funding, so allowing for a greater number of initiatives and/or greater impact.

I am thankful that I have a relatively young and committed Board of Trustees. As I build the trustee team I am keen to ensure that this group and the staff, volunteers and members of CPRE London are as diverse and representative of the London community as possible.

What would be your future vision for London?

One of the main reasons I joined CPRE London is that their vision for London is my vision:

“A city with a network of green spaces which are accessible to all, rich in nature and playing a crucial role in responding to the climate emergency”.

London needs to radically transform to be resilient to the challenges of the climate crisis. We need to become a greener, “spongier” city.  Our streets need to be tree lined, we need green areas designed to cope with extreme rainfall events and flooding. We need fewer cars and lorries, streets that favour public transport, pedestrians and cyclists.  We need more green parks and we need wilder green areas and more nature right in the heart of our wonderful city.

How do you feel about the challenges ahead?

The related nature, climate and social challenges that we all face are daunting and at times I do feel overwhelmed.  Climate anxiety is a real thing and a natural response to the world we now live in. However I do have hope.

When you take action, however small, and work with likeminded individuals who are also striving to create a better future for our children and their children, then anything seems possible.

CPRE London has the right bottom up and top down approach and a genuinely important role in tackling the major challenges that we are faced with. I’m excited about getting everything underway.

As we change over the team, I would particularly like to thank outgoing chair Tony Burton, who has been very supportive, and it is great to know that he remains involved in CPRE at the national level. Thanks too to Anna Taylor, CPRE London’s Director, and the team, for their warm welcome.

What’s a surprising fact about you?

I have been and still am to an extent an adrenaline junky! I parachuted for several years in my 20s, and travelled solo around Asia and South & Central America where I had many adventures, but miraculously came home in one piece!