Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
The Welsh Government declared a climate emergency in 2019 and subsequently the Senedd set Wales on a statutory pathway towards net zero emissions in 2050. In the years since then, we have started creating opportunities to renew and revitalise our economy and communities, to increase energy security, create green jobs, and reduce electricity bills. By adopting cleaner and more efficient technologies, we can reduce other forms of pollution too, protecting our precious environment and improving our nation’s health.
We have also seen the increasingly clear impacts of climate change both globally and in Wales, with three of the warmest years on record and some of the wettest winters experienced in living memory. Just this year we’ve seen the fourth driest March and the hottest start to May on record, with 27.6C recorded in Cardiff.
As well as taking action to reduce emissions, we are acting decisively now to address the risks these changes pose for our country. Our Climate Adaptation Strategy, which I published last October, sets out what is being done right across the country to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, flooding, and wildfires. While this work is essential, achieving our carbon budgets will help us mitigate further emissions and the associated risks.
Today, the Climate Change Committee published its advice on the level of Wales’ Carbon Budget 4, which covers the years 2031 to 2035. It will soon advise on the carbon unit limit for Carbon Budget 3, which covers the years 2026 to 2030. Carbon units provide the mechanism by which Ministers can use international offsets towards meeting carbon budgets, as an alternative to domestic action.
Achieving our carbon budgets is about doing all we can in ways which are cost-effective, timely and fair to everyone across society. It is about using the net zero transition to address existing inequalities and improve social and economic justice.
In practice, government of course has an important role to play but we will not reach net zero and realise the many benefits without a national effort. We need to harness the commitment and effort of people, businesses and communities across Wales, working together to grow a stronger, greener future.
The Climate Change Committee plays a vital role in helping shape Wales’ journey to net zero and I am grateful for the significant effort and expertise that went into producing this comprehensive advice. We will now consider the Committee’s recommendations, along with the other evidence required by the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. In the autumn, I intend to bring regulations to the Senedd to set Carbon Budget 4 and the carbon unit limit for Carbon Budget 3 in law. We will also draw on the advice as we continue to develop our plan for meeting Carbon Budget 3, which will be published before the end of 2026.