Defra has confirmed Sir Andrew Steer as the next Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His four‑year term runs from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2030, succeeding Dame Amelia Fawcett. In line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, no political activity has been declared.

The timing matters. Steer’s tenure spans the UK’s legally binding deadline to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and increase it by 2042, alongside the global commitment to protect at least 30% of land and sea by 2030 under the Kunming–Montréal agreement.

Kew’s science gives those targets practical footing. The Herbarium holds around seven million preserved plant specimens; the Fungarium houses more than 1.25 million; and the Millennium Seed Bank secures over 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 wild species-resources that support research, restoration and climate resilience projects worldwide.

In October 2025, the Millennium Seed Bank marked its 25th year. Kew reported collaboration with 279 partners in over 100 countries, nearly 2.5 billion seeds banked, more than 3,000 specialists trained, and the launch of a £30 million Seeds Future Fund to accelerate conservation and habitat repair.

Kew’s own data set the scale of the task. The State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023 indicates about 45% of flowering plant species may be at risk, and modelling suggests three in four undescribed plant species are likely threatened. Researchers also estimate roughly 2.5 million fungal species worldwide, most still unnamed-evidence that discovery and protection must move in step.

Steer brings a blend of finance, policy and science leadership. He led the Bezos Earth Fund from 2021 to 2025, previously served as President and CEO of the World Resources Institute, and in 2025 joined the London School of Economics’ Global School of Sustainability as Professor in Practice. He was appointed KCMG in June 2024 for services to global sustainable development and climate action.

The handover follows board renewal at Kew, with female representation passing 50% after new trustee appointments in 2025. Recruitment for a new chair began that August; today’s confirmation completes the transition plan and ensures continuity into Kew’s decisive years.

Kew’s 10‑year strategy, Our Manifesto for Change 2021–2030, commits the organisation to become climate positive by 2030. Its Science Strategy prioritises accelerated taxonomy, a digital step‑change and deeper partnerships-practical levers for turning evidence into protected sites, restored habitats and better decisions.

Digital momentum is already strong. By June 2024, Kew had imaged around five million herbarium and fungarium specimens-more than half the collection-with completion targeted for 2026. A planned relocation of the Herbarium will add capacity and safeguard collections, creating space for a new science quarter at Kew.

What to watch next: how Kew under Steer scales seed banking for UK habitat restoration, opens more datasets for planners and farmers working to meet statutory targets, and attracts private finance alongside public funding. Defra’s species abundance indicator is due its next release in 2026, offering a clear read‑out on progress.