IN MARCH the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued what they called “a final warning” on climate change. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said: “Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”
Responding to this call, and working together, the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have invited an independent group to explore how the country can speed up its transition to net zero, and how amending its target to 2035 from 2050 could be made possible.
The Group is tasked with:
- Finding the best examples of transformative change from Wales and around the world and bringing them to Wales
- Challenging the Welsh government and Senedd (Welsh Parliament) to go further and faster
- Imagining what a fairer, more sustainable future looks like for the Welsh nation
The Group formally launched its work this week with a first challenge to explore how Wales could feed itself by 2035.
Tenth generation farmer, Will Evans, is part of the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group, which is chaired by ex-environment minister Jane Davidson.
Mr Evans is proud of his farm, but has grave concerns about the future of farming in Wales and the future for his daughters in the face of climate change. He is aware that farming needs to change and that this provides a huge opportunity.
Mr Evans said “I am deeply concerned about the impact of climate change on farming in the UK and across the world, that’s why I am proud and excited to be part of this national conversation on how Wales can blaze a trail for action and adaptation to safeguard a future for our children.”
Wales Net Zero 2035 Chair, Jane Davidson, said ““Setting up the challenge group shows that the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru “get” the graveness of our global situation and are serious about how we can lessen the impacts and prepare for the future.”
The Group is looking for the most imaginative solutions to inform 10-year deliverable plans from 2025 to 2035.
Ms Davidson added “I challenge anybody with big ideas about how to reach net zero by 2035 – whilst also making sure that we support communities in Wales and deliver better outcomes for nature – to respond to our calls for evidence.”
This first challenge’s call for views and evidence is expected to run for two months, closing on the 30th June. The launch dates for further challenges will be announced in due course. The Group’s work is scheduled to run until summer 2024.
The Group is made up of 25 independent, unpaid members and includes representatives from the Welsh Youth Parliament.
The five Net Zero 2035 Challenges are:
- How could Wales feed itself by 2035?
- How could Wales meet energy needs by 2035 whilst phasing out fossil fuels?
- How could Wales heat and build homes and workplaces by 2035?
- How could people and places be connected across Wales by 2035?
- What could education, jobs and work, look like across Wales by 2035?