New biodiversity targets, environmental watchdog and framework for environmental protection will now come into force
The Senedd has passed the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, which the Welsh government calls ‘landmark environmental legislation’ designed to take significant action on the current climate emergency.
Photo by Joseph Reeder / Unsplash
Among the key provisions in the new law is the establishment of a new framework for environmental protection. It also creates an independent watchdog, the Office of Environmental Governance Wales, responsible for holding public authorities to account on environmental law. This includes scrutinising the Welsh government, Natural Resources Wales and local authorities.
What’s more, the new legislation requires ministers to set legally binding targets to halt and reverse the decline in biodiversity, through means such as increasing native species, strengthening ecosystem resilience and addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss.
Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, says: ‘This is a landmark moment for nature in Wales. By passing this Bill, we have sent a clear message that protecting our natural environment is a national priority. As this winter has shown, climate change is driving more extreme weather events – putting pressure on our environment and biodiversity.
‘With one in five species at risk of extinction and communities across Wales already feeling the effects of more frequent floods, heatwaves and wildfires, this legislation gives us the tools we need to act decisively.‘
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