Reynolds appointed Environment Secretary as Reed moves to housing

Emma Reynolds has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following a cabinet reshuffle triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. The appointment, announced on Friday (5 September), sees Steve Reed move to housing secretary.

Reynolds was serving as Economic Secretary to the Treasury since January 2025 before her appointment to the cabinet position. She represented Wolverhampton North East from 2010 to 2019 before losing her seat, and returned to Parliament in 2024 as MP for Wycombe.

Between 2020 and 2024, Reynolds worked as Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Research at TheCityUK, an advocacy group representing the financial services sector.

The circular economy work will continue under Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mary Creagh, who holds the portfolio as Minister for Nature. Creagh has ministerial responsibility for the Circular Economy Taskforce and the development of England's first Circular Economy Strategy, scheduled for publication in Autumn 2025.

Commenting on the appointment David Palmer-Jones, CEO of CIRQLR said: “[We have] a new environment secretary in Emma Reynolds, but we expect the same commitment under her leadership at DEFRA to drive forward the green jobs and collective move to a more circular economy.

“Certainty about the environmental regulatory landscape remains the watchword for businesses to feel the investable conditions are in place to build the recycling infrastructure and create the jobs needed as a whole range of sectors gear up to meet the challenges and opportunities that the Government’s industrial strategy presents.

“With Mary Creagh providing Reynolds a continuity of leadership support at the under secretary level, businesses feel positive that the drive towards greater circularity remains on track, so clearly set out within weeks of this administration coming to power in July last year.”

Steve Reed had served as Environment Secretary since July 2024, making the circular economy one of his five stated priorities for the department. During his tenure, Reed established the independent Circular Economy Taskforce, chaired by Andrew Morlet, to develop England's first comprehensive strategy.

Under Reed's leadership, the department advanced Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, which is projected to generate £10 billion in recycling infrastructure investment over the next decade and create over 21,000 jobs. He also oversaw progress on the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, scheduled to begin in 2027.

The National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) also welcomed Reynolds’ appointment: “It is critical that momentum is maintained on the Collection & Packaging Reforms, with the Government needing to play an ongoing role in bringing sectors together to work collaboratively on delivering change.”

NAWDO believes further reforms must be introduced under the Circular Economy Strategy if the UK is to achieve a wholesale shift towards more sustainable use of raw materials and energy.

“We are keen to work with the new Secretary of State and her team to ensure that infrastructure can be brought forward across the country to support the Government’s agenda, and would encourage Ms Reynolds to engage closely with local authorities as early as possible to understand how DEFRA’s policies and plans fit into the wider context of Local Government Reform and the planned Emissions Trading Scheme.”