Peter Unwin CB has been appointed as Deputy Chair of Natural England (NE).

Peter’s term will run from 1 April 2025 until 31 December 2025. He became a Natural England Board Member on 1 June 2020 and was reappointed in 2023 for a second term of three years from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2026.

Natural England is a non-departmental public body, set up under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Its remit is to ensure the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations. Non-executive board members of Natural England have collective responsibility for the strategic direction and overall performance of the organisation. They make sure that Natural England is properly and effectively managed and provide stewardship for the public funds entrusted to the organisation.

A recruitment exercise for the Natural England board is expected to start in the summer, including for a permanent Deputy Chair from 1 January 2026. Further details on board members can be found on gov.uk.

Biography

• Peter Unwin is an ex-civil servant with 10 years of Board-level experience as Director General at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the then Department for Communities and Local Government, and a spell as acting Permanent Secretary at Defra. He worked across a wide range of policy areas, including the natural environment, climate change, agriculture, local government and planning.
• After leaving the Civil Service in 2015, he spent four years as Chief Executive of the Whitehall & Industry Group, an independent charity promoting leadership development and understanding between government, industry and the not-for-profit sector.
• Peter was awarded a CB for services to the environment in 2011 and is a member of the Aldersgate Group.