The Wales Centre for Public Policy will support the work of the new Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group, bringing together evidence and expertise to explore how Wales can speed up its transition to net zero.
The Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have jointly invited an independent group, chaired by former Environment Minister Jane Davidson, to determine how amending Wales’ net zero target to 2035 from 2050 could be made possible.
The world is experiencing the disastrous impacts of the climate crisis and is currently off track to avert further impacts. Leading scientists recently issued what they called ‘our final warning’.
The Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group, is tasked with:
• finding the best examples of transformative change from Wales and around the world and bringing them to Wales;
• challenging the Welsh Government and Senedd (Welsh Parliament) to go further and faster;
• imagining what a fairer, more sustainable future looks like for the Welsh nation.
Dan Bristow, WCPP Director of Policy and Practice is leading the Centre’s work on the Wales Net Zero 2035 group. He said, “Responding to the climate emergency is one of the WCPP’s current priority areas of research as part of Wales’ aim to build a greener and more prosperous future. Our team is looking forward to providing the Group with high quality evidence and independent advice to help improve policy decisions and outcomes.”
Jane Davidson said:
“Setting up the challenge group shows that the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru ‘get’ the graveness of the global situation and are serious about how we can lessen its impacts and prepare for the future.”
The Group is looking for the most imaginative solutions to inform 10-year deliverable plans from 2025 to 2035.
It will be seeking views from Wales and the world; making draft conclusions public to openly put them to the test in Wales and beyond, before making recommendations to the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru in summer 2024.
The Group wants to hear from people and communities across Wales and the world to listen to their experiences and ideas, across a range of key challenges. Go to: the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group website to take part. The call for views and evidence around this subject is expected to run for around two months.
The first challenge being looked at is: How could Wales feed itself by 2035?
The Wales Net Zero 2035 Group is made up of 25 independent, unpaid members and includes representatives from the Welsh Youth Parliament.
The five Net Zero 2035 Challenges are:
1. How could Wales feed itself by 2035?
2. How could Wales meet energy needs by 2035 whilst phasing out fossil fuels?
3. How could Wales heat and build homes and workplaces by 2035?
4. How could people and places be connected across Wales by 2035?
5. What could education, jobs and work, look like across Wales by 2035?