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Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business News Wales
Future Generations Commissioner Urges Action on Wales Environment Bill
A landmark opportunity to protect and restore nature in Wales could fail without crucial targets to save wildlife, the Future Generations Commissioner is warning. Derek Walker says a new piece of legislation lacks the legal force needed to guarantee long-term action. The draft Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, currently under scrutiny in the Senedd, does not include a legally binding target to drive the recovery of nature – a gap that environmental advocates and the commissioner say must be addressed before it is passed. The Commissioner is presenting evidence to the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee as part of the Stage One scrutiny of the Bill. He is calling for the inclusion of a headline nature recovery target on the face of the legislation, warning that leaving target-setting to future governments could delay urgent action for years. The commissioner's Future Generations Report, published in April, recommends setting a headline target now to drive delivery from day one, provide clarity of purpose, and create a long-term obligation on future governments to continue restoring biodiversity. Mr Walker highlights that species abundance—a key indicator of ecosystem health—is in sharp decline in Wales. One in six species including water voles are at risk of extinction, and native species like the curlew and Atlantic Salmon are in critical decline, according to the State of Nature Report. The Commissioner supports a proposal from Wales Environment Link that species abundance be adopted as the headline measure of biodiversity health, with interim and long-term deadlines to track progress. The target in law for nature's recovery should also come with a clear plan of action and long-term funding arrangements, he says. Mr Walker said: 'A clear, measurable target for nature tells the story of what this law is really about—recovering nature and doing so urgently. 'Adding a nature recovery target to the law now would be a critical step toward a greener, healthier future for Wales and ensure we are taking all the action to increase nature across every part of Welsh life, whether we're planning for nature recovery, recreation, food growing or improving our health. 'Targets create momentum, drive accountability, and ensure that every sector plays a role. Without one, we're deferring action and leaving nature's future to chance. 'There's already a precedent for this measure elsewhere in the UK. We need to send a message now that nature matters—not just today, but for generations to come.' Mr Walker said a nature target would drive collaborative and integrated action towards nature's recovery in the same way the Net Zero by 2050 target is driving decarbonisation from the public and private sectors. Without this target written into the Bill, the process of establishing statutory targets would be left to a future Senedd, with an estimated timeline pushing implementation as far as 2029, the Commissioner said. Campaigners warn this could undermine Wales' commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Research shows spending time in nature boosts mental and physical wellbeing—and thriving ecosystems are essential for clean air, water, food, and climate resilience. In Pembrokeshire, the Outdoor Health Project run by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, connects patients with green spaces to support their recovery, while Llandough Hospital has created therapeutic meadows to enhance healing. The commissioner is also calling for preventative funding in health to be ringfenced. Wrexham Council's tree and woodland strategy uses the Tree Equity Score, a free tool mapping nature such as tree cover, which is at its lowest in disadvantaged areas, while also showing impact from air pollution and heat disparity – the areas that will suffer from the greatest impact of heat and cold. Public bodies can use the tool for planning, while people can check it to see how their area scores for access to nature. 'When there's a target, it's added to the risk register—suddenly, you have a seat at the table. That's when change really begins to happen,' said Anthony Rogers, Biodiversity Implementation Officer, Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership. People can have their say before the consultation on the Bill closes on July 30, 2025.
Leader Live
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Llangollen International Eisteddfod: What's on Wednesday
With the gates opening at 9am, the festival is expected to draw large crowds for a variety of activities in the Pavilion, on the field, and throughout Llangollen. More than 4,000 competitors from around the globe will lock horns in various competitions. Key events include the Parade of Nations, the Peace Lecture, Community Rhythms and Roots Wales, and a special evening concert marking 80 years of the United Nations. Tonight's concert, Uniting Nations: One World, will feature Sir Karl Jenkins conducting his celebrated piece, One World. This event will bring together voices from all corners of the globe to revel in peace, harmony, and the universal language of music. Today, the Pavilion will host the Senior Children's Choir, Children's Open Choir, and the Children's Traditional Group Folk Dance competitions. The Young Choir of the World winner will also be announced. For those keen on a more serene setting, St Collen's Church will hold recitals at 1pm featuring Akademisk Kor Århus from Denmark and the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir from the USA. At 1.15pm, Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, will deliver the Academi Heddwch Peace Lecture. Mr Walker will discuss Wales's role in fostering peace. Between 12pm and 4pm, the Community Rhythms and Roots Wales will present a lively display of six multicultural and multilingual community groups based in Wales. These groups will share performances influenced by their own creative traditions and the Eisteddfod's themes of peace and friendship. The annual Parade of Nations, featuring more than 4,000 competitors from 35 countries, will take place from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. A samba band will lead the parade back to the Eisteddfod site, where live entertainment will continue on the outdoor stages. Entry to the grounds during this time is just £1. The Gathering, a celebration of dance and culture featuring both international and UK participants, is not to be missed. From 7.30pm to 10.30pm, the Uniting Nations: One World concert will take place. The P5 Peace Child premiere unites young artists from the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council—UK, USA, China, France, and Russia—to create a compelling call for unity and peaceful collaboration. READ MORE: School highlights from across Wrexham and Flintshire The focus will be on global existential threats such as climate change, which the UN must address in the coming decades for the survival of future generations, in partnership with Peace Child International. Sir Karl Jenkins, known for his works like Adiemus and The Armed Man, will conduct an international massed choir and orchestra in a performance of One World. This symphonic vision presents a better future where human rights are universal, nature is cherished, and harmony prevails across nations. Additionally, the Eisteddfod Field will host numerous activities, including live music, poetry, crafts, and food from around the world. For tickets, head to
Wales Online
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Flagship Welsh law too 'vague' and lacks any real teeth, MSs told
Flagship Welsh law too 'vague' and lacks any real teeth, MSs told The Future Generations Act is often talked about one of Wales' leading laws Derek Walker is Wales' future generations commissioner (Image: Natasha Hirst ) A Welsh law designed to ensure future generations in Wales have at least the same quality of life as today lacks teeth and is too vague, a Senedd committee has been told. The Senedd's equality committee was looking at the decade since the Welsh Parliament passing the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act in 2015. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act is about improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The act gives a legally-binding common purpose – called seven wellbeing goals – for national government, local government, local health boards, and other specified public bodies to follow. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . However Labour MS Mick Antoniw told the committee it lacks impetus and risks being a "bureaucratic tick-box exercise". The former chief law officer for the Welsh Government was involved in early stages of scrutiny of the then-bill. He said: "It started off… as a sustainability bill until no-one could actually define what they meant by sustainability… came up with the term future generations and… that might be seen to be equally nebulous.' Article continues below As well as describing the act as vague the former minister suggested Wales' future generations commissioner has few – if any – powers to hold public bodies to account. "I always thought that was a mistake right from the beginning, [you] don't give it proper teeth to actually have the impact that shifts decision-making," he said. Professor Calvin Jones, an environmental economist, said the commissioner and his predecessor had told him their only "big stick" is to "name and shame" which they are reluctant to do. "As soon as you get the stick out people take their eyes off the carrot," he said. "There's this constant tension between wanting to chivvy the laggards along but realising once you get a reputation as somebody who's an auditor effectively then games start being played and boxes start being ticked. "That tension has always stymied the way in which the commissioners have been prepared to name and shame which was, I think, the only serious bit of teeth in the act." Prof Jones warned of a major lack of funding for the commissioner's office, describing the money allocated by the Welsh Government as akin to using a sticking plaster on the Titanic. "Let's remember we are trying to guide a £30bn public sector with a body which is funded to the tune of £1.6m per annum,' he told the committee. 'Now that is absolutely laughable." He said Audit Wales should have more of a role in holding public bodies to account in a similar way to their bookkeeping duties. The academic called for a legal duty to ensure at least a 0.1% 'haircut' for every public body captured by the act, generating a total of about £30m a year. 'Without that any future government that wants to hobble the office will just not give it money,' he said. Eleanor MacKillop, a research associate at the Wales Centre for Public Policy, raised concerns about institutional complexity, with corporate joint committees, public services boards, regional partnership boards, corporate safeguarding boards, and councils in Wales. Giving evidence on June 23 Prof Jones warned of a culture of "box-ticking and backside-covering" hampering innovation and transformation in the Welsh public sector. He said: "We have consensus politics in Wales: it's a consensus of 19 rabbits and a polar bear – the polar bear says what happens and all the rabbits say: 'Yes sir, yes ma'am'." He questioned the ambition of some public bodies' wellbeing plans, saying ministers similarly fail to set themselves stretching milestones and timescales they can be held to. Prof Jones reflected on then-First Minister Mark Drakeford's decision to scrap plans for an M4 relief road, pointing out that the decision letter did not refer to the act as a reason. He told the committee: "He said it's because it's too expensive and we have a different view of the environmental costs and a part of me thought: is that deliberate because if he places this 'no' on the basis of the act it's going to be open to judicial review?" But, on the other hand, Prof Jones said it would be difficult to imagine the Drakeford-led government pushing ahead with policies such as the default 20mph without the act. In written evidence Derek Walker, who succeeded Sophie Howe as commissioner in 2023, said the act contains no specific enforcement mechanisms – making judicial review the only option. Article continues below He wrote: "This is a difficult and costly procedure. It might mean only a class of people rather than individuals can use it. I understand that none of the very few attempts to use the act in judicial review have obtained permission from the court to proceed."
South Wales Argus
04-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Future Generations Commissioner wants more renewable energy
Derek Walker wants the Welsh Government to be more ambitious, with increased solar, wind, and water energy sources owned by and generating money for local people. Mr Walker, who challenges the government on improving future citizens' lives, envisions more Welsh schools, health centres, and community buildings running on renewable energy, with communities benefiting financially. In Torfaen, 14 schools are benefiting from renewable energy sources, which has included the installation of solar panels. The project has resulted in an estimated saving of 2,459 tonnes of CO2 and £240,000 in annual energy costs across Torfaen Council. This has allowed some schools, like Garnteg Primary School, to buy laptops and iPads with the money saved on energy bills. Ceri Williams, Schools Energy Finance Officer at Torfaen Council, said: "Every school has reported fantastic results – even on a cloudy day, energy is being generated and savings being made." The project is also an educational tool for students, with plans to integrate the data and learnings from the solar installations into the curriculum. Headteacher, Susan Roche, said: "The solar installation project is an exciting opportunity for all the school community. "Not only will the school make huge financial savings, but it will equip our pupils with vital life skills and knowledge about green energy for the future." The Welsh Government Energy Service has invested £210 million in more than 400 projects since 2018. This investment is expected to yield an estimated £367 million in local income and savings. Wales has already achieved 1GW of locally owned renewable electricity and heat capacity, against its target of 1.5GW by 2035. But Mr Walker wants to see at least a doubling of this target to 3GW by 2035, with 1GW enough to power half a million homes. He has urged the Welsh Government to provide more resources and support for community-led renewable energy projects in his Future Generations Report. He also requested public bodies to collaborate more with communities, release land for local energy schemes, and purchase the generated energy. Mr Walker said: "Community energy will play a crucial role in addressing climate change, involving communities in decisions, reducing energy bills, creating jobs, and helping Wales become more energy-resilient in the future." Paul Cowley, Community Renewables Technical Manager at Welsh Government Energy Service, said: "The Energy Service provides a range of technical advice and funding support to local councils and social enterprises. "The latent demand for such projects is huge, so we welcome the commissioner's call for more community energy in Wales."
Business News Wales
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business News Wales
Future Generations Commissioner Urges All Councils to Back Veg in Schools Project
The Future Generations Commissioner is urging all Welsh councils to commit to children having more Welsh vegetables on their school dinners. Five new councils have now signed up to the Welsh Veg in Schools project, following seven who joined last year. Now Derek Walker says he wants all 22 to do the same as part of his calls for a national food plan. The Welsh Veg in Schools initiative is increasing the supply of locally produced organic vegetables in school meals and Mr Walker said it could be part of a long-term plan to improve Wales' food security and ensure equal access to local, affordable, healthy and sustainable diets. The commitment was one of several made in direct response to the commissioner's report by organisations at the Future Generations Action Summit at National Museum Wales which marked 10 years of the Well-being of Future Generations Act on the launch of the Future Generations Report. The event was attended by 300 people. Katie Palmer, Head of Food Sense Wales, announced that five new councils – Pembrokeshire, Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Gwynedd – will join Welsh Veg in Schools. Bridgend, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Monmouthshire, Powys and Vale of Glamorgan councils are already part of the scheme. Welsh Veg in Schools is a pilot project co-ordinated by Food Sense Wales that aims to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales. Working with partners including Castell Howell, Farming Connect Horticulture, as well as a number of growers, it builds on the commitment from Welsh Government to ensure every primary aged child in Wales is offered a free school meal and that the food used to produce that meal, where possible, comes from local suppliers. Katie said: 'At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals. We aren't producing enough vegetables in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base, bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish.' Food Sense Wales published a report that said around 25% of all vegetables served in schools across Wales could be organic by 2030 with the right planning and investment in infrastructure, and that an increase of 3.3p per meal per day from local authorities and the Welsh Government could enable the inclusion of two portions of local organic vegetables in school meals seasonally. Meanwhile, at the event Pembrokeshire National Coast National Park Authority committed to a real Living Wage plan within two years, which the commissioner is asking for from all public bodies as a critical step to tackle poverty. Pembrokeshire National Coast National Park Authority Tegryn Jones said: 'A living wage makes a real difference to people, it provides a decent standard of living and allows workers to save for the future. 'I encourage all other public bodies in Wales to take this step towards accreditation so that we can shape an economy at local and national level around fair work, for current and future generations.' Ardiana Gjini, Executive Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda University Health Board, committed to using the agreed definition of prevention between Welsh Government and the commissioner's team, to be a pilot site to map their preventative spend. Sir Michael Marmot spoke at the event about the commitment by Welsh Government for the whole of Wales to become a Marmot region – which means committing to tackling inequity through action on the social determinants of health. Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability from Carmarthenshire County Council, talked about the action Carmarthenshire is taking on climate and nature, including a new approach to pasture cutting for pollinators and dedicating council farms to vegetable growing. Julie-Ann Haines, CEO of the Principality Building Society, gave an overview of the role of the private sector in delivering a more sustainable future. Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna CBE, Professor of Management and Organization, Cardiff Business School, spoke about the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and its central role in ensuring that a more equal Wales is a core impact of all action for future generations. Young voices included Saffron Rennison, Public Affairs Executive for Football Association of Wales, and Future Generations Leadership Academy Alumna, who discussed using the Well-being of Future Generations Act in her work, including advocating for better representation of women and Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in football. Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, said: 'The 50 recommendations in my Future Generations Report will help Welsh Government and those delivering public services to improve lives in Cymru. A week after publishing the report, I am already seeing major commitments to my calls and I urge more public bodies to sign up – including the 10 councils who are yet to make a commitment to more vegetables on school children's plates. 'I look forward to seeing more action on nature recovery, more involvement of communities in shaping policy, ringfenced prevention budgets to solve problems before they occur, a national food plan and a real Living Wage plan by every public body within two years.' Hannah Jones, a social and environmental advocate and the outgoing CEO of The Earthshot Prize, was a keynote speaker. The Earthshot Prize is a prize and a platform founded by HRH Prince William and the Royal Foundation in 2020 to search, to spotlight and scale solutions that can help repair and regenerate the planet in this decade.
