The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government, Gillian Martin MSP, has announced the appointment of Dr Richard Dixon as the Chair of the Board of Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS).
Dr Dixon, who has held the position of Acting Chair of ESS since April 2024 and has been a Board member of the organisation since its inception, will play a key role in leading ESS through its next stage of development as the organisation looks ahead to publishing a new Strategy later this year.
Chair of ESS, Dr Richard Dixon, said:
“I am delighted to have been appointed Chair of ESS at such an important time for our organisation. The Scottish Government is due to present a new Climate Change Plan to the Parliament this year and the newly introduced Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill includes new scrutiny functions for ESS on biodiversity targets.
“It is against this backdrop, and in the context of the climate and nature emergencies, that I look forward to working with my fellow Board members to ensure that Scotland’s environmental law is fit for purpose and is being enforced properly.”
Dr Richard Dixon is a freelance writer and researcher on the environment, including recent work for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, the European Climate Foundation and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. He has a strong background in policy and leadership roles in environmental non-government organisations in Scotland – having worked for and led both Friends of the Earth Scotland and WWF Scotland in the last thirty years.
Gillian Martin also announced the reappointment of Marie Fallon, Dr Paul McAleavey and Professor Annalisa Savaresi as Members of the Environmental Standards Scotland Board.
Marie Fallon and Dr Paul McAleavey will be reappointed for four years from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2029. Dr Annalisa Savaresi will be reappointed for three years from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2028.
