The Welsh Government has started work on Wales' first Climate and Nature Action Plan, setting out a cross-government approach to reaching net zero by 2040 and delivering substantive nature recovery by 2050.
The plan will bring climate change and nature loss together as a single connected challenge, with action expected to span areas including the economy, infrastructure, housing, farming, skills and jobs.
A new Climate and Nature Board, chaired by Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability Llyr Gruffydd, will also be established to help shape the programme and hold its delivery to account.
The board will bring external expertise into the process, provide challenge and support coordination across government, while helping ensure the plan reflects the priorities and experiences of communities across Wales.
The Welsh Government said the resulting plan would establish a practical pathway towards its 2040 net zero target and substantive nature recovery by 2050.
It will focus on sustainable development, improving environmental sustainability and strengthening the resilience of communities, businesses and natural environments to the effects of climate change.
The programme will also seek to support a just transition as Wales moves towards a lower-carbon economy.
The Welsh Government highlighted flooding, wildfires, hotter summers and coastal change among the climate impacts already affecting communities and businesses.
Pressure on food and farming, declining wildlife, polluted rivers and growing risks to local economies and public health will also inform the work.
Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, said:
“This is not about treating climate and nature as separate problems – they are connected problems and we need to respond to them in a connected way.
“In developing the plan, we will bring people, communities, partners and organisations into the process of shaping solutions, drawing on their experiences as well as the evidence.
“Together, we will look for opportunities to take action across government and society that tackles the causes of these challenges, not just their symptoms.”
The plan is expected to have implications across a wide range of policy areas, from energy and housing to agriculture and economic development.
Mr Gruffydd said protecting and restoring Wales' natural systems could also support wider economic and social priorities.
He added:
“This means protecting and restoring the natural systems Wales depends on, while also helping us deliver our wider commitments to healthier communities, more resilient places, a stronger and fairer economy, rural resilience, cleaner air and water, warmer homes, green skills and jobs, sustainable food and farming, and better places to live.”
Development of the plan will involve engagement with people, communities, businesses, organisations and other partners across Wales, alongside consideration of scientific and other evidence.
The initiative represents a shift towards coordinating climate and nature policy across government rather than addressing decarbonisation and biodiversity loss through separate programmes.
The Welsh Government has set an ambition for Wales to reach net zero by 2040, alongside substantive nature recovery by 2050.
