We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Christensen confirmed as Natural England chair
POUL Christensen has been confirmed as the new chair of Natural England, after he received the approval of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee this week.
Mr Christensen, an Oxfordshire farmer who pioneered early agri-environment schemes in the 1970s, had been acting chair of the agency from this March, following the death of Sir Martin Doughty, and was deputy chair from 2006.
Previous roles include chairman of Milk Marque in the late 1990s. He also co-founded the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA).
His appointment was confirmed by Defra Secretary Hilary Benn today (Thursday, December 3).
Mr Christensen said he was ‘delighted’ with his appointment and that he looked forward to the ‘enormous challenges ahead in enabling England’s natural environment to withstand the challenges it is increasingly being subjected to.
“We have lost a significant amount of our wildlife in recent years and the pressures of development and climate change threaten to take a very heavy toll unless we change our views about what the countryside is for,” he said.
But he said society had to move away from the mindset that regards securing the health of the natural environment ‘as a drag on prosperity and growth’.
“A healthy natural environment is fundamental to a healthy, vibrant society – and we must do all we can ensure that the delicate balance of our wildlife and the landscapes that support it is properly maintained,” he said.
“There is a great deal to be done, but there is also ample evidence for believing that we can reverse many of the environmental mistakes of the past.”
The Government announced Mr Christensen as the preferred candidate in August. Confirming the appointment, Mr Benn said Mr Christensen had shown ‘passionate commitment’ to the natural environment and wildlife in his time with the agency.
His appointment had to be approved by the EFRA committee, which interviewed Mr Christensen in a public hearing on November 25.
In its report, published on Wednesday (December 2), the committee said it was satisfied he had the ‘professional competence, rigour and integrity’ required for the post and that he would be ‘well-placed to lead the organisation’.
