Dame Helen Ghosh has been officially confirmed as the new Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).
Dame Helen will take up the post on 1 June (2026) after Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and Andrew Muir, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), confirmed the appointment.
Commenting on her appointment, Dame Helen said: “I am delighted to be joining the Office for Environmental Protection at this crucial time. The Office has done a great job in its first six years in achieving real environmental improvement through its challenge and advice to Government and regulators. It has shown expertise, independence and integrity in pursuing issues that matter most in the natural world and to the public.
“But the 2030 deadline for achieving the first statutory improvement targets is rapidly approaching and delivery of most of those is way off track, as it is for the ambitions set out in the Environmental Improvement Plans in England and Northern Ireland. It will be even more important that the Office focuses relentlessly on the areas and actions that will make the most difference. I look forward to playing my part in that vital work alongside the Board, our team and our stakeholders.”
Emma Reynolds said: “I would like to thank Julie Hill for her time as Interim Chair and for providing stability and continuity to the board as we completed the process of appointing a permanent Chair.
“Dame Helen brings strong public service values and a wealth of experience to this role. We look forward to continuing to work with the OEP as we protect, restore and improve our natural environment for current and future generations.”
Andrew Muir said: “I welcome Dame Helen Ghosh’s appointment as Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection and look forward to continuing to work positively together. The OEP’s independent challenge and guidance are vital as we address the environmental challenges ahead.”
Natalie Prosser, OEP CEO, said: "“We are looking forward to welcoming Dame Helen to the OEP, and supporting her as she takes on her new role as our Chair.
“She joins us at an exciting time, with much to do. In England, government remains largely off-track to meet its environmental commitments and obligations, but a revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) brings an opportunity to drive the change needed. Ambitious reform programmes are in the works for water regulation and planning, bringing opportunities but also risks.
“In Northern Ireland, nature is under unsustainable pressure, largely due to nutrient pollution from wastewater and agriculture. The Executive’s commitments to environmental protection and improvement in the Program for Government and EIP lay the foundations for tackling this challenge, but the focus now must turn from planning to delivery.
“We have an important role to play and are committed to our mission of protecting and improving the environment by holding public bodies to account. We look forward to the leadership, vision and authority Dame Helen will bring to her new role with us.”
The appointment follows a public hearing with the EFRA and EAC committees, held on 28 April, and a subsequent joint report into Dame Helen’s suitability for the role, published on 29 April.
Biography:
- Dame Helen brings extensive leadership experience from across the public and private sectors. For eight years, she served as Master of Balliol College at Oxford University, holding senior governance roles and Chairing the Conference of Colleges.
- She has a strong background in governance and strategic development and oversight at senior levels from her previous positions as Director General of the National Trust and a Senior Civil Servant.
- Dame Helen has wide-ranging non-executive and trustee experience, particularly in environmental and conservation sectors, including seven years as a trustee on the Board of Action for Conservation.
The statement confirming her appointment can be found here: Dame Helen Ghosh appointed as Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection - GOV.UK
