Senedd committee slams lack of progress on nature recovery

The Welsh parliament’s climate change, environment and infrastructure committee (CCEIC) has launched a scathing report on the lack of nature recovery progress in Wales.

The committee warned that targets set by the Welsh government will not be met unless it follows a clear plan, actions delivery and backs it up with appropriate investment.

See also: Senedd committee launches blistering attack on SFS proposals

The report, which makes 30 recommendations, further stresses that Welsh wildlife has decreased on average by 20% since 1994, and one in six Welsh species are threatened with extinction.

“There is a worrying lack of capacity and resource across the board, and an apparent lack of urgency on the part of the Welsh government to get things done,” said committee chairman Llyr Gruffydd.

Many of the recommendations made in the report, the committee argues, are outstanding promises made by the Welsh government, including a new Natural Resources Policy, a revised Nature Recovery Action Plan, alongside ambitious legally binding nature recovery targets.

“If the Welsh government is to deliver on its commitments for nature, it needs to up its game, because nature can’t wait for it to catch up,” added Mr Gruffydd.

Reinforcing the Welsh government’s commitment to tackling the nature emergency, a spokesman said they “recognise the need to increase the scale and pace of our delivery to meet both current and future biodiversity targets”.

However, they were keen to highlight that, as the report notes, a whole-Wales approach is needed.

“It is not just for government to tackle on its own,” the spokesman said.

Among some of the measures the Welsh government has taken in the current Senedd term are investments of over £150m to restore nature and improve access to nature on people’s doorstep.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) said the findings will be a disappointment for the sector, especially as industry has participated in a range of environmental schemes for many decades.

“Failures of the Welsh government over recent years on several fronts, including the shrinking of Glastir payment by £20m for the new Habitat Wales scheme, and a lack of SSSI [site of special scientific interest] management plans and payments, should all be considered alongside these findings,” an FUW spokesman said. 

Rhys Evans, Nature Friendly Farming Network Cymru manager, said: “With 80% of Wales’ land used for agriculture, farmers have an enormous role to play in reversing the loss of biodiversity.

“Without full buy-in from farmers, the Welsh government will find it impossible to meet its targets to restore nature.”