As the new Secretary of State for Defra, Emma Reynolds will need to hit the ground running to calm the nerves of all the stakeholders that Defra deals with.

Businesses, farmers and green groups alike have had cause for concern in recent months as Defra has appeared to be sidelined in matters of major concern, whether it’s the Treasury and farming, or planning and nature. So, with a background in one and with Steve Reed (hopefully a new ally) in the other, will Reynolds set a new course, or is she here to tighten the ship?

She will be looking for ways to make her name and, within the scope of her role, to carve out some clear water from her predecessor. The Institute for European Environmental Policy UK’s Executive Director, Ben Reynolds (no relation to the new Secretary of State), explores where she could make her mark.

This article was originally published on the European Movement UK website.

• 1: Closer cooperation with the EU 

With Reynolds’ background working as a lobbyist in Brussels, and vocal support for the EU, she should appreciate the benefits of closer relations with the EU and understand how to navigate its structures more than most. Much of May’s UK-EU reset will fall to her department to deliver, from fishing agreements to veterinary agreements, and in improving the flow of agri-food trade.

With these will also come the discussions on alignment of certain standards – with the UK already giving ground to align with EU pesticide standards, and apparently keen to carve out a derogation to keep new legislation on genetic modification passed under the last Government.

Aligning on such standards requires a close relationship to ensure a good flow of technical knowledge, and the new Secretary of State  could build on the agreement for limited access to EU agencies, cementing this with more formal relationships where possible. Whilst most require EU membership, some do not. Rejoining the EEA and Eionet will both be symbolic of the UK’s genuine desire for a reset and will practically help with the flow of environmental data cut-off since Brexit, which would enable the UK to better understand how effective its environmental policies are in the wider European context.

• 2: Use COP to announce UK deforestation legislation 

The current Government has been silent on the legal commitment to bring forward legislation on Forest Risk Commodities (FRC) promised under the Environment Act (2021). The next COP (COP30) in November offers the perfect opportunity for the UK to make this commitment.

Making a showpiece of this may be one reason for the delay, another reason may be that the UK is eyeing-up alignment with EU legislation which may simplify trade, rather than have businesses needing to meet two sets of rules in neighbouring jurisdictions.

Minister Creagh alluded to interest in a broader scope than the UK has previously committed to, which would be in line with elements of the EU’s legislation. The Government may also be waiting to see how far the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) gets watered down in the spill-over from the ‘simplification agenda’ of the EU Omnibus Package (arguably more a bonfire of ambition). Alignment to remove trade barriers brings me on to…

• 3: Aligning with EU circular economy policy to aid economic growth 

IEEP UK’s latest research shows that in some areas where the UK and its four nations are diverging from EU policy, selective re-alignment would provide a realistic and meaningful milestone for improving UK standards, from air quality to nature restoration.

With the Government’s desire for economic growth, alignment on many areas of policy would support this by removing trade barriers. In the last five years, the EU has developed a raft of new circular economy legislation including on eco-design, buildings, critical raw materials and batteries.

Our research at IEEP UK shows that UK businesses are calling for the UK to align with many of these to remove trade barriers. The Government’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy (likely in Spring 2026) is an opportunity to state an intention to raise levels of ambition to at least the level of the EU if not go beyond.

• 4: Put the Polluter Pays principle into forthcoming water legislation  

Building on her recent background championing green finance and the Government’s priority to fix the water system, Reynolds could champion alignment with the EU’s Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, which put a duty on producers of medicinal and cosmetic products to pay for the damage caused to our watercourses and consider whether other sectors should be included.

Indeed this would build on a similar recommendation made in the Cunliffe review to which the Government has promised a consultation and white paper in response this Autumn.

This would go a long way to more fully implementing the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle,  and would reaffirm the Government understands and respects the core environmental principles, which brings me on to…

• 5: Work with Steve Reed to amend the Planning Bill for Nature  

The outgoing Secretary of State moves into an influential role in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with the potential for a last-ditch influence on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and the forthcoming planning legislation which is trailed, to be even more radical.

Reed should understand the sizeable amount of evidence that nature underpins economic growth, and that it is reckless and misleading to pitch the two at odds with each other. Reynolds may also be concerned that, as it stands, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would constitute a regression on EU laws that the UK is bound by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to uphold.

Not a good move if you are looking to play ball with the EU on other economic matters, and given the EU triggered the post-Brexit dispute mechanism on the recent sandeels dispute (not even due to regression, but UK ambition), it remains to be seen how they might react to the first obvious case of UK regression.

• 6: Get off on the right foot with farmers  

One of the best examples where nature underpins a healthy economy is with farming.

With the recent reshuffle seeing a change in farming minister with Daniel Zeichner out and Angela Eagle in, there will be nervousness in the farming community. However many will also see this as an opportunity for the Government to reset its relations with the farming community.

Notwithstanding the inheritance tax, the new Secretary of State swiftly announcing the plans for the new Sustainable Farming Incentive will be welcome in giving some certainty, even if the detail is unlikely to please everyone.

Rapidly serving up the 25-year farming roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both of which have been baking for months now, will also help show farmers and the wider community of interest that this Government understands how important this sector is – whether for meeting nature and climate commitments, the economy, or more cynically securing some of the rural vote gained in the last election.

• 7: Show UK Leadership with a Food Systems Bill 

Whilst it may not seem as much of a headline issue, the potential for impact and leadership on food policy should not be overlooked.

The Government has committed to an action plan to follow up its Food strategy released in July. The absence of a mooted Food Bill alongside this was noted by many commentators, and depending on where the blockers were for this, could be something that a change in Defra Ministers might decide to pick up as a way both to cement some of the ambitions around healthy and sustainable food systems that consecutive governments have promised and failed to maintain (using public procurement to support sustainable and British farming being a case in point).

If, as many have called for, this took a food systems approach it would also mark-out the UK for real European leadership in being the first to put something like this into law (although with the new French food legislation they may have something to say about that).

Read IEEP UK’s latest parliamentary briefing for the Autumn 2025 party conference season – Resetting our shared environment

Photo by Defra