The Wales Net Zero Challenge Group have called on the Welsh Government to act urgently to get to grips with the climate emergency in Wales. The group was established in January 2023 as part of the 2021 Co-operation Agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Labour Party with the aim of providing expert and independent advice to the Welsh Government in order to hasten and aid the move to net zero. Today, the group have published a series of reports that set out proposals and outline recommendations to ensure a transition that will reduce carbon emissions in Wales in a just way that will ensure economic, social, environmental, and cultural benefits.
Seven reports have been published, one overarching report that provides an overview of their findings and several individual reports that provide proposals for key sectors such as education, food, energy and building and transport. According to the authors the reports explore innovative strategies in order to ensure a prosperous and resilient future for Wales in the face of the challenges that climate change presents.
Among the findings of the group, which is formed of experts from academia, public institutions, and the private sector, are the following points:
- They argue that ensuring net zero by 2035 will mean a fundamental change in the ambition of the Welsh Government, more support from the UK government and a greater social mandate to ensure change.
- They note that it is possible to ensure great benefits to the public in Wales from the net zero transition, including improving people’s health and less strain on the health service, more energy security, ensuring a food production system that is more resilient and secure as well as new low carbon jobs.
- They also argue that there is a need to work at pace in order to make the most of the benefits of transitioning to a net zero system and reduce the environmental and economic risks associated with not acting.
In a statement Jane Davidson, Chair of the Net Zero Challenge Group 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 10 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. While this work is specific to Wales, quantifiable emission reductions are essential for us all if we are to minimise harm to current and future generations. We hope that our work, published before New York Climate Week and this year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, will help Wales and other countries of all sizes to consider focusing on real actions as part of real pathways to deliver.’
Among the members of the advisory group is Sarah Dickins, a former BBC journalist who was appointed as Chief Communications Advisor by the First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan at the start of September 2024.
You can read the reports in full by following this link to the Wales Net Zero Challenge Group 2035 website.
