UK: Lisa Tennant selected as the government's preferred candidate to chair the Environment Agency

Lisa Tennant has been selected as the government's preferred candidate, by UK Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, to chair the Environment Agency (EA), the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the EA announced on 30 October 2026.

If confirmed, the current chair of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), would take up the post on 1 January 2027 for a four-year term. She would succeed Alan Lovell, whose term as EA chair ends on 31 December 2026.

It remains subject to a joint pre-appointment hearing of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) and Environmental Audit (EAC) Committees on 11 November 2026, and to the Environment Secretary's final decision after their report on her suitability.

Tennant has held chair and board roles across the…