Bold vision for climate change in Wales has been unveiled

A series of transformative reports released from the Wales Net Zero 2023 Challenge Group led by former environment minister Jane Davidson, outline ambitious pathways to combat the climate crisis in Wales.

The reports, commissioned by the leaders of the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru through the 2021 Cooperation Agreement, aim to renew and rapidly accelerate Wales’ approach to achieving net zero.

The proposals cover mechanisms for accelerating emissions reduction towards net zero by 2035 and ensuring wider socio-economic, environmental, and cultural benefits, as well as a just transition.

The reports provide independent, expert-led advice for transforming Wales’s economy.

They cover key sectors – education, food, energy, buildings, and transport – and identify crucial cross-cutting enablers necessary for achieving this ambition.

Over the past 21 months, a dedicated volunteer team of experts from academia, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector has collaborated to develop comprehensive ten-year pathways of action.

The group’s headline statements are that achieving net zero by 2035 will require a 'significant step change' in ambition from the Welsh Government, support from the UK Government, and a greater societal mandate for change.

They also highlight that huge benefits to the Welsh public are possible through a net zero transition, including improved public health, reduced pressure on the NHS, greater energy security, more resilient food supply, and low-carbon job generation.

Jane Davidson, Net Zero Challenge Group chairperson, said: "The Senedd was the first national parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency in 2019, pledging to act to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the Welsh population.

"By proposing ten-year pathways to deliver outcomes to keep the population of Wales safer, our work has focused particularly on delivering a nature positive and just transition as required by the unique Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

"Our ambition has been to describe pathways that will deliver benefits to the Welsh people as well as quantifiable emission reductions."

The reports stress the need for urgent action to ensure Wales captures the value and benefits of a net zero transition over the long-term, whilst also limiting exposure to climate-related risks and greater costs in dealing with the consequences of inaction.

They state that only a planned transition can be a just transition to net zero through proactive action to prepare Wales over the longer term and mitigate transition risks before more severe disruptions occur in the future.

Stan Townsend, Net Zero Challenge Group secretary, said: "This work offers genuine pragmatism in dealing with the challenge of climate change, for Wales and the world.

"Unlike the so-called ‘pragmatism’ that ignores problems, this work acknowledges and confronts them head-on.

"Through exploring how to reach net zero earlier than 2050, we’ve highlighted how Wales could accelerate action to address the causes of climate change, while demonstrating that this acceleration shouldn’t wait any longer if we are to seize the benefits, minimise the costs and ensure a just transition.

"Importantly, for us, we’ve worked towards a net-zero transition that also addresses related challenges such as public health, inequality, economic stability and the nature crisis.

"This is what the people of Wales deserve.

"As the great-grandson of a coal miner from the South Wales valleys, I don’t want to see a history of unjust transitions repeat itself.

"A renewed approach to climate change and sustainable development is needed to avoid this and that is what our work offers."