Environment Bill - White Paper

This white paper sets out proposals for the Environment (Wales) Bill. This bill will ensure that we have the right legislative framework to manage our natural resources in a joined-up way as committed in the Programme for Government. This includes proposals for a new area-based planning approach to natural resource management. This is intended to complement existing and proposed planning and sustainable development laws to deliver economic social and environmental benefits for Wales.

We held a consultation in 2012 on the Sustaining a Living Wales green paper which showed broad support for a fresh approach to the planning and management of natural resources in Wales. This white paper builds on the responses to the green paper to set out more fully legislative proposals for atural resource management.

The white paper sets out how we will take steps to:

• join-up the existing statutory frameworks for natural resource planning and management in Wales
• ensure Natural Resources Wales has the legislative tools to help enable them to implement integrated natural resource management
• take actions to ensure Wales’ natural resources are used to best effect and reduce waste
• simplify streamline and clarify the law for a number of existing environmental regulatory regimes.