diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index c6d27175ff9..a1bf42e6215 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ requests_).
  - Prasanna Challuri
  - David Matthews
  - Tim Whitcomb
- - (Scott Wales)
+ - Scott Wales
  - Tomek Trzeciak
  - Thomas Coleman
  - Bruno Kinoshita
diff --git a/changes.d/5709.feat.md b/changes.d/5709.feat.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..11aeabcf81d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes.d/5709.feat.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Forward arbitrary environment variables over SSH connections
diff --git a/cylc/flow/cfgspec/globalcfg.py b/cylc/flow/cfgspec/globalcfg.py
index 86c639af113..5251c0ffad3 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/cfgspec/globalcfg.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/cfgspec/globalcfg.py
@@ -1652,6 +1652,14 @@ def default_for(
 
                 .. versionadded:: 8.0.0
             ''')
+            Conf('ssh forward environment variables', VDR.V_STRING_LIST, '',
+                 desc='''
+                A list containing the names of the environment variables to
+                forward with SSH connections to the workflow host from
+                the host running 'cylc play'
+
+                .. versionadded:: 8.3.0
+            ''')
             with Conf('selection', desc='''
                 How to select a host from the list of platform hosts.
 
diff --git a/cylc/flow/remote.py b/cylc/flow/remote.py
index fd51934af11..e0ab7544a39 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/remote.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/remote.py
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@ def construct_ssh_cmd(
         'CYLC_CONF_PATH',
         'CYLC_COVERAGE',
         'CLIENT_COMMS_METH',
-        'CYLC_ENV_NAME'
+        'CYLC_ENV_NAME',
+        *platform['ssh forward environment variables'],
     ]:
         if envvar in os.environ:
             command.append(
diff --git a/tests/unit/cfgspec/test_globalcfg.py b/tests/unit/cfgspec/test_globalcfg.py
index 2becda1caad..6db8d76dcf8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cfgspec/test_globalcfg.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cfgspec/test_globalcfg.py
@@ -148,3 +148,13 @@ def test_source_dir_validation(
         assert "must be an absolute path" in str(excinfo.value)
     else:
         glblcfg.load()
+
+def test_platform_ssh_forward_variables(mock_global_config):
+
+    glblcfg: GlobalConfig = mock_global_config('''
+    [platforms]
+        [[foo]]
+            ssh forward environment variables = "FOO", "BAR"
+    ''')
+
+    assert glblcfg.get(['platforms','foo','ssh forward environment variables']) == ["FOO", "BAR"]
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_remote.py b/tests/unit/test_remote.py
index 7be01de2e20..8d24fc0bb3a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_remote.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_remote.py
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """Test the cylc.flow.remote module."""
 
-from cylc.flow.remote import run_cmd, construct_rsync_over_ssh_cmd
+from cylc.flow.remote import run_cmd, construct_rsync_over_ssh_cmd, construct_ssh_cmd
+from unittest import mock
+import cylc.flow
 
 
 def test_run_cmd_stdin_str():
@@ -86,3 +88,28 @@ def test_construct_rsync_over_ssh_cmd():
         '/foo/',
         'miklegard:/bar/',
     ]
+
+
+def test_construct_ssh_cmd_forward_env():
+    """ Test for 'ssh forward environment variables'
+    """
+    import os
+
+    host = 'example.com'
+    config = {
+        'ssh command': 'ssh',
+        'use login shell': None,
+        'cylc path': None,
+        'ssh forward environment variables': ['FOO', 'BAZ'],
+        }
+
+    # Variable isn't set, no change to command
+    expect = ['ssh', host, 'env', f'CYLC_VERSION={cylc.flow.__version__}', 'cylc', 'play']
+    cmd = construct_ssh_cmd(['play'], config, host)
+    assert cmd == expect
+
+    # Variable is set, appears in `env` list
+    with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {'FOO': 'BAR'}):
+        expect = ['ssh', host, 'env', f'CYLC_VERSION={cylc.flow.__version__}', 'FOO=BAR', 'cylc', 'play']
+        cmd = construct_ssh_cmd(['play'], config, host)
+        assert cmd == expect