The Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group spearheaded by former environment minister Jane Davidson, warns that both the Welsh Government, the UK Government, as well as society at large, must significantly step up to meet this critical target.
Their new report, Pathways To A Prosperous And Resilient Wales In A Changing Future, was commissioned by the leaders of the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru through the 2021 Cooperation Agreement. It presents a comprehensive strategy to guide Wales towards sustainability by 2035, focusing on key areas: emissions reductions, education and employment, food and energy security and the development of housing, transport and infrastructure.
Professor Whitmarsh, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath is the Co-Chair of Connections in the group.
Professor Whitmarsh and her colleagues stress the need to transform mobility and connectivity for a healthier, fairer Wales. Their recommendations include enhancing digital connectivity, local services, and sustainable transport options to align with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh who examined connectivity across Wales, said:
We believe that society should be supported to travel less, travel differently and travel better. Our advice supports a transformative mobility agenda to avoid, shift and improve the movement of people and goods, to reduce car dependency whilst also supporting a healthier, fairer future.
Dr Eurgain Powell from Public Health Wales who also examined connectivity, said:
By enabling and investing in digital connectivity, local services, fairer fares for public transport, walking and cycling, car sharing e-hubs, rail freight and sustainable aviation fuel, we believe our advice offers a better direction for the people of Wales and closer alignment with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The expert group anticipates substantial benefits from a net zero transition, including better health outcomes, reduced NHS pressures, increased energy security, and new jobs in low-carbon sectors. They stress that proactive planning is essential to ensure a just transition to net zero, delivering both environmental and socio-economic benefits.
Jane Davidson, Net Zero Challenge Group Chair, said:
The Senedd was the first national parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency in 2019, pledging to act to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the Welsh population.
By proposing 10 year pathways to deliver outcomes to keep the population of Wales safer, our work has focused particularly on delivering a nature positive and just transition as required by the unique Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.
Our ambition has been to describe pathways that will deliver benefits to the Welsh people as well as quantifiable emission reductions. While this work is specific to Wales, quantifiable emission reductions are essential for us all if we are to minimise harm to current and future generations. We hope that our work, published before New York Climate Week and this year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, will help Wales and other countries of all sizes to consider focusing on real actions as part of real pathways to deliver.
Stan Townsend, Net Zero Challenge Group Secretary, added:
This work offers genuine pragmatism in dealing with challenge of climate change, for Wales and the world. Unlike the so called ‘pragmatism’ that ignores problems, this work acknowledges and confronts them head-on.
Through exploring how to reach net zero earlier than 2050, we’ve highlighted how Wales could accelerate action to address the causes of climate change, while demonstrating that this acceleration shouldn’t wait any longer if we are to seize the benefits, minimise the costs and ensure a just transition.
Importantly, for us, we’ve worked towards a net-zero transition that also addresses related challenges such as public health, inequality, economic stability and the nature crisis. This is what the people of Wales deserve.
As the great-grandson of a coal miner from the South Wales valleys, I don’t want to see a history of unjust transitions repeat itself. A renewed approach to climate change and sustainable development is needed to avoid this and that is what our work offers.