The Environment Secretary has selected Lisa Tennant as the Government’s preferred candidate for the Chair of the Environment Agency.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle has selected Lisa Tennant as the Government’s preferred candidate to succeed Alan Lovell as the Chair of the Environment Agency.

Lisa Tennant is an experienced Chair and Board member of environmental and other organisations, including currently serving as Chair of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Ms Tennant’s selection followed a rigorous process conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee and the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) will now hold a joint pre-appointment hearing on 11 November 2026 and report on Ms Tennant’s suitability for the post.

Subject to the EFRA and EAC Select Committees’ report and the final decision being made by the Environment Secretary, Lisa Tennant will take up the post on 1 January 2027 for a four-year term. Alan Lovell’s term as Environment Agency Chair will end on 31 December 2026.

Biographical details

Lisa Tennant is Chair of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scotland’s principal environmental regulator. She also chairs the NHS Pension Board for England and Wales and is the Regional Energy Strategic Plan Chair for Scotland at the National Energy System Operator.

She is a Non-Executive Director of Smart Energy GB and was appointed by the Health Minister to lead the independent review of the NHS Pensions McCloud Remedy.

Her previous roles include Non-Executive Director of the Consumer Council for Water, Non-Executive Adviser to Forestry and Land Scotland, and membership of the Scottish Land Fund Committee. Her earlier career included business leadership and consultancy in community land ownership, conservation and regional food tourism.

Notes to editors

Pre-appointment scrutiny is an important part of the appointment process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers to verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Pre-appointment hearings are held in public and allow a Select Committee to take evidence from a Minister’s preferred candidate before they are appointed.

The EFRA and EAC Select Committees will publish a report setting out their views on the candidate’s suitability for the post, which will be considered by the Environment Secretary before deciding whether to continue with the appointment.