Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035 says stagnated efforts may impact local communities negatively but young people should not be afraid
Jane Davidson, chair of the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group, outlined the possible pathways the Welsh Government could take to achieve its greenhouse gases emission goals, speaking at a briefing hosted by Cardiff Business School this morning (27 November 2024).
Davidson, who previously served as the Welsh government minister for environment and sustainability, expressed the urgency of the current climate situation, stating that strategy-informed action needs to happen now to avoid local communities being negatively impacted.
Throughout the briefing, the former minister emphasised the possibility of significant change regarding the sustainability and wellbeing of Wales, urging audience members to remain hopeful about Wales’ net zero goals.
However, Davidson stated that a shift from climate rhetoric to measurable action was a matter of necessity, saying: “If we don’t take urgent action, we will find it more difficult to achieve those positive effects.”
What is net zero?
Net zero refers to the state where emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activities and the removal of those gases are in balance over a certain period.
According to a report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists have issued a final warning to address the climate crisis. Additionally, Climate Action Wales warns about climate change “threatening Welsh communities through impacts like flooding, water shortages, wildfires and changes to air quality”.
The Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group was commissioned back in 2021, following an agreement by the Labour Government and Plaid Cymru to “commission independent advice to examine potential pathways to net zero by 2035.”
The former minister said that when the group began their research, they became aware that while other countries across the world had expressed similar ambitions, none had implemented a plan to achieve this goal.
The aim of Davidson and her team was to move the net zero conversation from rhetoric to action, operating under the seven sustainable development goals set out in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015.
This act proposes a framework for Wales to become more globally responsible, prosperous, resilient, healthy, equal, putting emphasis on cohesive communities, vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language.
Without the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, said Davidson, the work of experts involved in the Net Zero 2025 Challenge Group would not have been possible.
Lack of communication
Based on independently commissioned research, the group’s propositions were described by Davidson as “pathways to delivery rather than another series of recommendations”.
A challenge that required particular attention, Davidson highlighted, was the lack of communication between the government and the people of Wales.
Talking about the recent Pontypridd flooding in relation to that, Davidson said: “We don’t know what happened in Pontypridd at the moment, but we are pretty confident that the point at which residents were told the river Taff was going to burst its banks was far too late to make appropriate preparations.”
She said that while the government can make the policies, it’s the local government’s responsibility to implement them by working with their communities.
Stating the importance of engaging communities in the net zero mission, she said that local governments should make efforts to ensure the public understand and are clear about the benefits of new policies prior to their implementation.
Message of hope
During the briefing, Davidson stated that there was insufficient funding, both in the UK in general as well as Wales, for net zero initiatives, suggesting that a “blended finance” model would be necessary in order to make certain changes feasible.
Despite addressing this challenge, the former minister’s message was one of hope, emphasising the possibility for positive change and the powerful impact that implementing the strategy set out by the Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group could have.
In an exclusive interview with Alt.Cardiff reporters, Davidson said that she would like young people of Wales to not be terrified of climate crisis implications, but that they do need to fight for change.
