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Wales Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Big differences in how Welsh councils are dealing with climate change revealed in report
Big differences in how Welsh councils are dealing with climate change revealed in report Some are making big strides towards a net zero future, says the report, while others less so Energy-saving homes under construction in Swansea (Image: South Wales Evening Post ) A new report has revealed stark differences in how Welsh councils are responding to the issue of climate change, with some making significant strides toward net zero, and others falling behind. The findings come from the Council Climate Action Scorecards 2025, which analysed every local authority in Wales between July, 2024, and March, 2025. Councils were assessed across a wide range of climate-related categories, including buildings and heating, transport, planning and land use, biodiversity, governance, and finance. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Swansea Council emerged as the best-performing authority in Wales, with a score of 48%. It was praised for its work on energy-efficient housing and investment in renewable technologies. Its 'Homes as Power Stations' programme, which uses solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage to cut household emissions, was highlighted as an example of real-world progress. Monmouthshire County Council came a close second with a score of 46%, with its best-performing category being waste reduction and food, scoring an impressive 93%. Article continues below The report is the work of Climate Emergency UK, an independent not-for-profit group that monitors and assesses how councils are acting on their climate promises. The organisation was set up to push for greater transparency and accountability in local climate action, using over 90 questions to evaluate how councils were progressing on cutting emissions, implementing sustainable transport, retrofitting homes, and involving local communities in the climate conversation. The capital city, Cardiff, scored an overall 42%, with its strongest-performing category also being waste reduction, at 72%. Cardiff Council is actively working towards becoming a net-zero city by 2030, focusing on reducing carbon emissions from both its operations and the wider city. The council's 'One Planet Cardiff' strategy, launched in 2020, outlines a vision for a carbon-neutral future and includes specific targets for the council to achieve carbon neutrality in its activities by 2030. At the other end of the table, Merthyr Tydfil was the worst-performing council in Wales, scoring just 23%. The report found limited evidence of serious climate action across most categories, with major gaps in transport, housing retrofit, and public involvement. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council was the second-lowest performer, with an overall score of 29%. Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot both received a score of just 5% in the transport category — the lowest in Wales. The report said this reflected limited publicly available information on current strategies to reduce transport emissions. It added that this might be due to a focus on other priority areas or the early stages of planning for longer-term transport improvements. While both councils had made progress in certain aspects of their climate work, the low score suggested that further development in active travel infrastructure, public transport planning, and low-emission transport initiatives could help strengthen their overall approach in future assessments, said the report. Wales as a whole averaged 36% across all councils, slightly lower than the average scores in England and Scotland. The report concluded that while a few councils were showing leadership, many were still struggling to turn their climate declarations into meaningful progress. Climate Emergency UK said stronger government support, clearer targets, and increased public pressure were all needed if councils were to meet their commitments and help Wales transition to a greener future. Article continues below
Wales Online
10-07-2025
- Wales Online
Bike lockers to appear all over Cardiff in bid to deal with thefts
Bike lockers to appear all over Cardiff in bid to deal with thefts There will be 100 secure lockers across the city within a year More will be installed as part of a 5-year programme (Image: John Myers ) New secure cycle parking will be introduced in Cardiff this month after bike theft and damage to bikes across the city. The units will be installed near Cardiff Castle next week allowing the public to safely park their bike whilst visiting the city centre. On Wednesday, July 16 the first six secure cycling parking units will be installed with the other 24 units being placed around the city centre throughout the first month of the scheme, funded by the Active Travel Fund, One Planet Cardiff and the Local Places for Nature Programme. Over the next five years more units will be installed across the capital's centre and local shopping areas including Cardiff Bay, Cathays, Roath, Llanishen and Heath.. To enhance the biodiversity within the city centre the first units will include a living roof, providing more greenery to the area. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here The initial lockers will have live roofs (Image: Cardiff Council ) They will also be battery-powered therefore they will not need to be connected to electricity and will reduce the cost of instillation. Article continues below With nearly 80% of people in Cardiff saying they would pay for the units, cyclists will be able to be book and pay for their locker via an online app in advance, for between £1 and £1.50 a day. With bike theft being an issue in Cardff, the council have worked alongside South Wales Police to ensure that the new lockers are safe and cannot be misused. Cllr Dan De'Ath cabinet member for climate change, strategic planning and transport said: "The council is committed to improving the facilities for cyclists as we are fully aware there are issues with bike theft and damage to bikes in Cardiff. "This is why we are developing a 5-year programme which could see a variety of different secure cycling solutions delivered at key locations across the city. "Although we initially hoped to provide these services for free, after engaging local cycling groups and the public - nearly 80% of whom were happy paying a small fee in exchange for a more efficient scheme, we found that a modest charge makes the scheme financially sustainable, so it can continue to expand into district shopping centres in areas like Cardiff Bay, Cathays, Roath, Llanishen and Heath. "By offering secure and reliable solutions for cyclists, we hope more people will dust off their bikes in their garage and start cycling again, confident that their bike will be safe when parked." Another 30 secure cycling units will installed by Christmas with a total of 100 units installed in the first year. The contract for the 5-year programme is expected to be appointed later this summer. It could include a variety of different chargeable solutions such as hangars, stands or further lockers, while retaining the current free steel stands for free cycle parking. Article continues below As part of a separate scheme, Cardiff Council will also be piloting secure cycle hangers in residential areas with a consultation taking place in the coming weeks to determine the areas.
