(Title Image: Welsh Government)
In light of current protests on climate change, it was timely that the Welsh Government recently launched its latest plan to create a low-carbon Wales (pdf).
“The Plan outlines the Welsh Government’s approach to cut emissions and transition to a low carbon economy in a way which maximises wider benefits for Wales, ensuring a fairer, healthier and more equal society. I am clear this can only be achieved by collective action across Government, business and society.
“The Plan pulls together 76 existing pieces of policy from across the Welsh Government, UK Government and the EU where decarbonisation is integrated either as a direct outcome or a wider benefit. Some of these are new Welsh Government policies which have come on stream since the start of the budget period, such as the Economic Action Plan and Renewable Energy Targets, or revamped policies such as Planning Policy Wales where decarbonisation is now a central pillar.”
– Energy, Environment & Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham)
The action plan proposes:
- Planning an additional 2,000 hectares of forestry per year, gradually increasing to 4,000 hectares.
- Commissioning a study into carbon capture technology.
- Encouraging the use of small modular nuclear reactors, solar energy and tidal power.
- Expanding electric vehicle charging and setting a goal for all buses and private hire road vehicles to be zero-emission by 2028.
- Including decarbonisation and sustainability in the new National Curriculum.
- £4million to support community-led small-scale low-carbon projects.
Cardiff University has been awarded £5million to be the lead researcher as part of the plan, looking in detail at how daily lifestyles can change to reduce carbon emissions.
