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Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs

First published:
2 June 2025
Last updated:

I am very pleased to introduce the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill and its supporting documentation to the Senedd today. 

Our duty and commitment to the environment is clear and unwavering. This pivotal piece of legislation reflects this commitment and responds to the pressing climate and nature emergencies. 

This Bill establishes a robust framework for environmental governance in Wales, grounded in internationally recognised environmental principles. These principles are the principle of prevention, the precautionary principle, rectification at source, and the polluter pays principle. The Welsh Ministers and NRW will be required to apply these principles when making policy which affects the environment. This is further supported by a duty to integrate environmental protection into the making of such policies. To improve the cohesion of this new approach across the public sector, certain public authorities who are undertaking strategic environmental assessment will also be subject to a duty to apply the principles and integrate environmental protection. By establishing these principles into Welsh law, environmental protection is embedded across all areas of policy-making and decisions subject to strategic environmental assessment.

The establishment of the Office of Environmental Governance Wales, (“the OEGW”) is a key component of the Bill is This statutory body will provide strategic oversight of environmental law, including addressing any non-compliance by certain public authorities. It will also ensure environmental law is effective and fit for purpose by monitoring, reporting, and enforcing environmental law compliance. Enforcement will be escalatory, reflecting the need to work collaboratively with public authorities to reduce environmental harm. 

The Bill recognises the alarming decline of biodiversity and seeks to halt and reverse this trend. The Bill introduces a target setting framework which includes requirements to evaluate, monitor and report on progress. The Welsh Ministers will be required to prepare detailed plans outlining the actions they intend to take to achieve the targets, ensuring transparency and accountability. Regular evaluation reports will assess the impact and effectiveness of  policies, providing a basis for continuous improvement.

Welsh Ministers will be required to lay draft regulations before the Senedd which set targets that focus on reducing the risk of extinction of native species; the effective management of ecosystems; reducing pollution; and the quality of evidence to inform decisions relating to biodiversity, access to that evidence and its use and application.

In setting targets, the Welsh Ministers must be satisfied that meeting the targets will contribute to halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity, in particular through increasing the abundance of native species, enhancing the resilience of ecosystems or increasing genetic diversity. 

The Bill also requires the Welsh Ministers to take steps to promote awareness in Wales of the importance of biodiversity and the threats it faces. Encouraging positive change will be essential for the success of our environmental objectives.

The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill represents a significant step forward in our endeavour to protect and enhance the environment and is a testament to our commitment to safeguarding the environment for current and future generations. I urge all Members to support this Bill, ensuring that we continue to act decisively to protect the well-being of our nation and our planet.

A copy of the Bill and its supporting documentation is available here. I will be making a legislative statement in Plenary on 03 June 2025. I look forward to working with Members of the Senedd during their consideration of the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill in the months ahead.