Mary Menton

Mary Menton is an Assistant Professor in Climate Change and Sustainability at Heriot-Watt University's School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society. She holds affiliations with the University of Glasgow's GALLANT Project and the Guardians Under Pressure initiative. Her research focuses on environmental justice, climate change, and the protection of environmental defenders, particularly in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

• Joined Heriot-Watt University in 2024, following roles at Sussex University, US institutions, think-tanks, and NGOs.
• Expertise includes policy analysis, political ecology, and the intersection of environmental conflicts with human rights.
• Current projects include Glasgow's environmental challenges via the GALLANT Project and Southeast Asian environmental defender support through Guardians Under Pressure.

Her research explores violence against environmental defenders, Indigenous rights, and the complicity of NGOs (BINGOs) in resource conflicts. Recent work highlights the impact of climate change on marginalized communities and the role of decolonial frameworks in addressing environmental inequities. Her award-winning Another Sky project combines Indigenous art and activism to document rights violations.

Mary's publications emphasize the nexus between environmental policy, social justice, and global trade dynamics. She actively contributes to policy briefs and collaborates with organizations like Not1More to combat environmental conflict root causes. Ongoing work integrates whole-system approaches to urban sustainability and climate resilience.