# Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform was a cabinet post in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary was supported by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, who also reported to the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.

## Overview
### Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform:
* climate change and environmental protection
* biodiversity
* environmental and climate justice
* flood prevention and coastal erosion
* land use and land reform
* animal welfare
* wildlife crime
* water quality

### Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform:
* Cairngorms National Park Authority
* Crown Estate Scotland
* Drinking Water Quality Regulator
* Forestry and Land Scotland
* Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority
* NatureScot
* Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
* Scottish Canals
* Scottish Environment Protection Agency
* Scottish Forestry
* Scottish Land Commission
* Scottish Water
* Water Industry Commission for Scotland

## History

In the first Dewar Government, the environment brief was the responsibility of the Minister for Transport and Environment and the Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform, changing to the Minister of the Environment, Sport and Culture and the Deputy Minister for Rural Development from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 and 2007, environment was combined with the rural affairs brief for the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, with the associated deputy post of Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development.
The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, created the junior ministerial post of the Minister for Environment who assisted the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, in the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department. A junior minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet unless his/her Cabinet Secretary was absent. The Minister for Environment and Climate Change and Land Reform took the lead role in environment and natural heritage, crofting, forestry, aquaculture, sport fishing, land reform, access, water quality regulation, sustainable development and climate change. In 2010, Climate Change was added to the Environment portfolio becoming Minister for Environment and Climate Change. Land reform was added to the title in November 2014 after Nicola Sturgeon's first reshuffle on her appointment to First Minister of Scotland.
The Ministerial post was abolished in May 2016 at the beginning of the second Sturgeon government. The duties of the junior Ministerial post were upgraded to full Cabinet Secretary status at that point as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform.

## List of office holders

The final Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform was Roseanna Cunningham.
Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Land Reform :
| | | Name | Entered Office | Left Office | Party |
| | 1. | John Home Robertson | 19 May 1999 | 2 November 2000 | Labour |
| Deputy Minister for Rural Development ||||||
| | 2. | Rhona Brankin | 2 November 2000 | 29 November 2001 | Labour |
| Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development ||||||
| | 3. | Allan Wilson | 29 November 2001 | 1 October 2004 | Labour |
| | 4. | Lewis Macdonald | 1 October 2004 | 27 June 2005 | Labour |
| | 5. | Rhona Brankin | 27 June 2005 | 14 November 2006 | Labour |
| | 6. | Sarah Boyack | 14 November 2006 | 17 May 2007 | Labour |
| Minister for Environment ||||||
| | 7. | Michael Russell | 17 May 2007 | 12 February 2009 | Scottish National Party |
| | 8. | Roseanna Cunningham | 12 February 2009 | 11 December 2010 | Scottish National Party |
| Minister for Environment and Climate Change ||||||
| | 9. | Roseanna Cunningham | 11 December 2010 | 24 May 2011 | Scottish National Party |
| | 10. | Stewart Stevenson | 25 May 2011 | 6 September 2012 | Scottish National Party |
| | 11. | Paul Wheelhouse | 6 September 2012 | 21 November 2014 | Scottish National Party |
| Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform ||||||
| | 12. | Aileen McLeod | 21 November 2014 | 18 May 2016 | Scottish National Party |
| Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform ||||||
| | 13. | Roseanna Cunningham | 18 May 2016 | 19 May 2021 | Scottish National Party |