No room for further delay in securing the step change in action needed to tackle the nature emergency

Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma

RSPB Cymru warmly welcomed the White Paper on environmental principles, governance and biodiversity targets and the subsequent confirmation of the Environmental Principles and Biodiversity Bill in Welsh Government’s recent Legislative Statement for the coming year (we have previously called this the ‘Nature Positive Bill’).  

The Bill is set to do three vital jobs: 

• Bring core environmental principles, that used to be part of our legal framework through the UK’s membership of the EU, into Welsh law; 

• Set up a new, independent environmental governance body to oversee implementation of environmental law by public authorities in Wales; and 

• Create a new nature recovery framework including legally binding nature recovery targets. 

Thank you if you took the time to respond to the consultation via our e-action or otherwise; over 1000 responses were submitted, which gives a clear signal to the Welsh Government that this Bill is important. 

The Welsh Government has now published its policy response to the White Paper consultation. It reflects broad support, from respondents to the consultation, for all aspects of the bill. Importantly, it also commits to working with stakeholders to further develop key areas and there are good signs that the input of RSPB Cymru and others on how to strengthen the new legislation has been taken on board.  

However, we do have a major concern. We praised the White Paper’s ambition for biodiversity, which included a headline ‘nature positive’ target: to reverse the decline in biodiversity through an improvement in the status of species and ecosystems by 2030 and their clear recovery by 2050. The Welsh Government is now signalling it may back away from including this headline target in the Bill, suggesting it might be replaced by a purpose or mission statement.  

The Bill will still require Ministers to establish and report on legally binding biodiversity targets via secondary legislation, but we fear dropping the headline target, with its key 2030 and 2050 dates, risks undermining the pace of delivery. With 2030  dauntingly close, it is vital that urgent action is taken to secure meaningful and measurable positive change by then in line with Wales’ global biodiversity commitments. 

The fact that this legislation will be passed right at the end of this Senedd, and its delivery (including the creation of targets in secondary legislation) will start in the next term, makes it doubly important that the Bill upholds the ambition of the current Senedd to address the nature emergency. It must not leave room for further delay in securing the step change in action that nature needs.  

The Welsh Government is making clear that it wishes to work with stakeholders to develop the detail of the Bill in the coming weeks and months, which we welcome. Securing the imperative for urgent action to reverse biodiversity loss will be a top priority for RSPB Cymru.