# Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

The secretary of state for energy and climate change was a British Government cabinet position from 2008 to 2016. The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 when then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet.
Between 1974 and 1992, the post was known as secretary of state for energy.
The energy and climate change secretary revived the earlier post of the secretary of state for energy as head of the Department of Energy, existing from 1974 to 1992. After which, the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry under the Conservative government of Sir John Major in 1992.
Sixteen years later, immediately prior to the creation of the new department, energy policy was the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (itself now a defunct government department, superseded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills).
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was the inaugural secretary of state at DECC. After Labour lost the 2010 general election and the Cameron–Clegg coalition was formed, Chris Huhne was appointed as his successor. On 3 February 2012, Huhne resigned from the post after it was announced that he would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, in relation to accusations that he passed on speeding penalties to his ex-wife to avoid losing his own licence. The post was taken over by Ed Davey on the same day, and served until the Liberal Democrats left government, and Davey lost his seat, in 2015.
Amber Rudd was the final secretary of state at DECC, until she became Home Secretary. The post was formed into the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by new prime minister Theresa May in July 2016.
The role is now part of the portfolio belonging to the secretary of state for energy security and net zero.

## List of secretaries of state

Colour key  Conservative  Labour  Liberal Democrats
Energy (1974–1992) :
| Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | The Lord Carrington | The Lord Carrington | 8 January 1974 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | | Edward Heath |
| | Eric Varley | Eric Varley | 5 March 1974 | 10 June 1975 | Labour | | Harold Wilson |
| | Tony Benn | Tony Benn | 10 June 1975 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | | Harold Wilson |
| | Tony Benn | Tony Benn | 10 June 1975 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | | James Callaghan |
| | David Howell | David Howell | 5 May 1979 | 14 September 1981 | Conservative | | Margaret Thatcher |
| | Nigel Lawson | Nigel Lawson | 14 September 1981 | 11 June 1983 | Conservative | | Margaret Thatcher |
| | Peter Walker | Peter Walker | 11 June 1983 | 13 June 1987 | Conservative | | Margaret Thatcher |
| | Cecil Parkinson | Cecil Parkinson | 13 June 1987 | 24 July 1989 | Conservative | | Margaret Thatcher |
| | John Wakeham | John Wakeham | 24 July 1989 | 11 April 1992 | Conservative | | Margaret Thatcher |
| | John Wakeham | John Wakeham | 24 July 1989 | 11 April 1992 | Conservative | | John Major |
| Department abolished 1992. Functions transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry. |||||||||
| Energy and climate change (2008–2016) |||||||||
| Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | Ed Miliband | | 3 October 2008 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | | Gordon Brown |
| | Chris Huhne | | 12 May 2010 | 3 February 2012 | Liberal Democrats | | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| | Ed Davey | | 3 February 2012 | 8 May 2015 | Liberal Democrats | | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| | Amber Rudd | | 11 May 2015 | 14 July 2016 | Conservative | | David Cameron (II) |
| Department abolished 2016, merged into Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. |||||||||