Rotevatn comes from Nordfjordeid, Sogn og Fjordane, and has a master's degree in law from the University of Bergen.

[2] Prior to that, he served as a state secretary at the same department from 2018 to 2020 under then minister Ola Elvestuen.

In January 2022, both he and his successor as environment minister, Espen Barth Eide, agreed that Norwegian politicians had not done enough to fight climate change.

[7] On 24 January 2020, following the Progress Party's withdrawal from government, he was appointed Minister of the Environment.

[2] In May 2020, he announced his intention to run for the party leadership in September to succeed outgoing leader Trine Skei Grande.