The Welsh government has published the details of its £5bn Net Zero Wales plan, outlining steps to creating a “greener, stronger, fairer Wales”.
As First Minister Mark Drakeford and Climate Change Minister Julie James call for a “decade of action”, the plan shows how the Welsh government aims to deliver 20,000 new low-carbon social rent homes.
The plan also outlines how, by 2025, 148,000 houses will have been retrofitted to reduce heat loss; all new affordable homes will be built to net-zero standards; and more support will be given to private landlords to improve energy efficiency.
The overall plan focuses on the Welsh government’s second carbon budget (2021-2025), but also looks toward net-zero by 2050 so that, by then, the amount of greenhouse gases Wales adds to the atmosphere would no longer be more than it takes out.
It contains more than 120 government policies and proposals, covering every area from peatland restoration to active travel, and from green skills to renewable energy.
By March 2023, all public sector organisations will have to report their emissions and publish their plans to achieve net-zero, with the aim of collectively achieving net-zero across the Welsh public sector by 2030.
‘Warmer, more energy efficient homes’
Commenting on the plan, Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “Net Zero Wales sets out both the action we will take and the things we are already doing.
“From creating places for nature to giving the poorest people in Wales warmer, more energy efficient homes, as well as the things we want to take forward in this government term and in this carbon budget, like a reformed sustainable farming scheme and creating a national forest.
“We recognise we haven’t got all of the answers – we want to work with and learn from people across Wales to find innovative solutions to the challenges we face and this is why, along with Net Zero Wales, we are also publishing another document today.
“Working together to reach net-zero showcases some of the excellent work that is already taking place in Wales, and I would like to thank everybody who has contributed.”
She continued: “We really need everyone to work with us on this and, although this document contains just some of the examples of commitments and good work already taken place, we wanted to share it in the hope of inspiring others.
“There are things we have to do to meet the climate emergency, but these things can also be opportunities – I look forward to working with you all to find solutions that bring benefits to Wales, enhance our communities and grow our local economies.”
First Minister Mark Drakeford added: “The advice from the Climate Change Committee is clear: this must be a decade of action for Wales.
“We need to make more progress in the next 10 years than we have in the last 30 years, this will be difficult but we will do it by working together.
“The challenges faced in coming decades cannot be underestimated, and we must all work together to realise the opportunities available.
“In this plan, we also call on the UK government to take the action which is needed to unlock a green future in Wales.
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“While the UK cannot reach its targets without Welsh action, we cannot reach our ambition without the UK government playing its fair part.
“We believe that by working together and taking collective action we can deliver a stronger, fairer, and greener Wales for future generations.”
Calls for long-term funding
Responding to today’s unveiling of the Net Zero Wales plan, CIH Cymru said it welcomes the government’s retrofitting ambitions, though called for long-term funding to help deliver more low-carbon social-rented homes.
Policy and Public Affairs manager Matthew Kennedy said: “This is a plan that recognises the huge influence housing has on the climate and how we live our lives in an environmentally friendly way.
“Within this context, we strongly welcome the minister for Climate Change recognising the huge challenge of retrofitting existing homes, prioritising additional funding for the Optimised Retrofit Programme to accelerate the pace of learning to improve our collective knowledge of what works.
“We also share in the government’s ambition to deliver 20,000 low-carbon homes at social rent.
“As we progress towards the Welsh government budget in the coming months, we strongly urge for an approach that sees the long-term funding provided to deliver this in practice – recognising the huge impact that not only this will have on addressing the climate crisis, but also in buoying and healing local economies as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Clarissa Corbisiero, director of Policy and External Affairs/deputy chief executive of Community Housing Cymru, said: “It is absolutely right that Welsh government sets out a clear vision for how it wants to tackle the climate crisis and make Wales net-zero by 2050.
“It confirms what we already know – that housing plays a leading role in meeting this ambition, and we are reassured that Welsh government shares this view.
“But while this is a view shared, any plan must have in place the right funding to make it deliverable.
“We look forward to this Welsh government’s first budget as an opportunity to ensure that funding matches the ambition.”
Image: Cotosa/Shutterstock
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