Careful planning and clearer information key to carbon reduction in Wales
30 October 2010
Carbon reduction needs to be given greater priority in Welsh Government policy if we are to protect Wales and the planet for future generations, according to a new report from the National Assembly for Wales’s Sustainability Committee.
The inquiry from the cross-party group of AMs found while some government departments and agencies were dedicated to a sustainability agenda, others gave it much less of a priority.
In some cases the Committee found policies and priorities working against each other through a lack of joined-up thinking. Evidence also showed the Welsh Government’s planning policies led to confusion and conflict for local authorities when considering the carbon reduction aspects of applications.
The report is the culmination of three years and five previous inquiries examining different aspects of carbon reduction in devolved areas. It focuses on the progress the government has made on recommendations contained in those five reports and makes further recommendations based on the issues that are common to all the reports.
Chair of the Sustainability Committee, Kirsty Williams AM, said: “We have published this report now to highlight some of the shortcomings in the government’s Climate Change Strategy for Wales.
“While we welcome many of the measures proposed in it, we think that can be done by the Government using its devolved powers rather than relying on UK Government action to achieve much of Wales’s 3% reduction target.
“We are also still concerned at the lack of joined-up approaches between government departments and agencies, which leads to confused and conflicting messages regarding carbon reduction.
“We want to see clearer leadership and a consistent message when it comes to our climate and we want the public to be able to find out all the information they need to contribute towards a sustainable future, from one source.
“There is also a concerning lack of data when it comes to demonstrating what effect government policies are having on carbon reduction and we would urge the Welsh Government to collect and publish clear and accurate statistics showing how Wales is contributing towards sustaining our planet for future generations.”
Among the Sustainability Committee’s recommendations are:
The Welsh Government should produce a full costing, both in terms of amounts of carbon saved and financial implications of the measures it intends to implement through its Carbon Reduction Strategy.
The Welsh Government should publish, along with its Carbon Reduction Strategy, a comprehensive list of the data which are and are not available and a timeline for the collection and publication of the unavailable data.
The Welsh Government should establish a true one stop shop for all information and advice about carbon reduction from all sectors. The new organisation should be the only point of contact for inquiries and advice on and help with accessing grants and contractors, and should take a pro active role in engaging all areas of and sectors in Wales in carbon reduction.
Each Welsh Government Minister should make explicit their role in carbon reduction and how they are going to achieve the targets set within their portfolios.
Read the Carbon Reduction report