CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE PROGRESS REPORT: WALES

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is an independent body established by the Welsh Government to provide advice and guidance on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change in Wales. The committee’s latest progress report provides an update on the country’s efforts to meet its climate change targets and outlines the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Introduction

In 2019, the Welsh Government set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050, in line with the recommendations of the CCC. The committee’s progress report assesses how far Wales has come in achieving this goal and identifies areas where progress is needed to stay on track.

Key Findings

The report highlights several positive developments in Wales’ climate change efforts, including:

• A 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, ahead of the UK average
• Significant increases in renewable energy generation, with wind power accounting for over 10% of electricity production in 2020
• Improvements in energy efficiency, with the number of households having installed energy-efficient measures increasing by 15% between 2016 and 2020
• A commitment from the Welsh Government to increase the proportion of electric vehicles on the road to 50% by 2050

However, the report also identifies several challenges that need to be addressed to meet Wales’ climate change targets, including:

• The need to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels, particularly in the transportation and industrial sectors
• Insufficient progress on reducing emissions in agriculture, which accounts for around 20% of Wales’ greenhouse gas emissions
• A lack of investment in carbon capture and storage technology, which is critical for reducing emissions from heavy industry
• The need to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, with many homes and businesses still reliant on inefficient heating systems

Recommendations

The CCC report makes several recommendations to accelerate Wales’ progress on climate change, including:

• The Welsh Government should set a target to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, and consider banning the sale of new heavy-duty diesel vehicles by 2040
• The agriculture sector should be provided with financial incentives to adopt more sustainable farming practices, such as reduced tillage and increased use of organic manure
• The Welsh Government should invest in carbon capture and storage technology, and explore the potential for emitting industries such as steel and cement to adopt carbon capture and utilisation technologies
• The building regulations should be strengthened to require new buildings to be designed and built to high energy efficiency standards

Conclusion

The Climate Change Committee’s progress report provides a valuable assessment of Wales’ efforts to address climate change. While there are many positive developments to report, the report also highlights the need for accelerated action to meet Wales’ ambitious targets. The recommendations outlined in the report provide a roadmap for achieving a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and for building a more sustainable and resilient Wales.