, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, I had farmers on my biodiversity deep-dive so radical that it would take your breath away, who were active farmers in Wales doing amazing things already in biodiversity terms. Some of the people who farm in the curlew recovery areas are extraordinary…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, there's a huge piece of work going on. So, first of all, I don't think—. Farmers are not homogenous in any way.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
I couldn't agree more with that, Joyce. We've got an organisation called Ystadau Cymru, who are run by the land division, who are in my portfolio, to map out all of the places on the public estate in Wales that would be suitable for tree planting, and also…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Please don't all write to me with your favourite river. [Laughter.]
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, we've been discussing with Lesley and her officials for a long time how a collaboration of farms might come together to access the money, where one of them has 40 per cent and the others have less than 10 per cent for exactly that reason, Jenny. So…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
I would say over the next two years, Huw, because several things will happen over the next two years. So, we've just appointed several people who we call 'woodland liaison officers' to NRW, and their sole purpose is to work with landowners across Wales to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, so, there are a number of things that are happening here, as I’ve just said to you. Very welcomingly, we’re now getting the official Office for National Statistics stats showing us that we’ve more than doubled the planting for this year. We’re still not…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
And I think there are things that we will be able to accelerate as part of that, and there will be things that we will not be able to accelerate, but what they’ll be able to do is challenge the assumptions around that. So, if they come back and say, 'You…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, what we've asked them to do is a slightly different thing. We've asked them to look at the social and economic paths to it. So, this is the hard carbon budget, if you like. What we've asked them to do is help us get to a just transition, if you want to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, so we've got a number of obligations to report, and one of them is under the environment Act later this year. But Jon is the guru on all data and corresponding policies, so let me turn to him for that one, Chair.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, I do think it was right. I hear what the committee is saying, but I think that it's essential to take the people of Wales with us. To just give you an example of that, the balanced pathway tree-planting target is 4,500 trees, off the top of my head. I'll…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
There are three intertwined things there. There's the way that energy is generated for the grid. That's the first one, and that is about getting as much fossil fuels out of it and as much renewables in as humanly possible. I don't think they're going fast…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
No, I don't. I think they're perfectly fair. We had a very good conversation with them. There are nuances that I might argue with. The wastes chapter we are a bit baffled by, to be honest, and I'll happily go back to them. But they are a critical friend…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
They're included in Net Zero Wales, in fact, in pretty stark terms. We can do that. But we have a number of levers here that we also—I'm sure the committee will want to get into this right now—try to pull. I would argue, and I'm about to argue I'm sure in…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
There are a number of things, Huw, but the two big ones are that they could decarbonise the grid—we still have a disproportionate number of gas-fired power stations in Wales, for example, so they could decarbonise the grid in a big way—and the UK Government…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
UK Climate Change Committee 'Progress report: Reducing emissions in Wales' - evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes. Thank you, Chair. Just let me say something about the wildfires, actually, first. We've had a series of very severe wildfires across Wales, and south Wales in particular, actually. So, I just wanted to say two things, and first of all to just pay tribute…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Diolch, Huw. I did wonder whether I'd managed to slide that one past you or not. I'm sure we'll have some robust discussions about what is necessary on the face of the Bill and what is necessary for regulatory action. You're right; the triple stool, as you…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Thank you very much, Carolyn. Yes, the idea is to have a full cost recovery system. I've always been a little bit baffled by why the public purse is expected to subsidise the planning or licensing applications of various private-sector individuals. We…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Thank you very much, Joyce—a very good set of questions indeed. I completely agree with your analysis of the problem. How we're going to approach it is the Bill itself will set out, in Part 1, the types of infrastructure projects and associated minimum…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Diolch, Jane. I've said some of this before, but it's worth repeating, isn't it? There are improved and consistent pre-application consultation requirements incorporated in the process, on applicants of all types, for all types of infrastructure. There's a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Yes, thank you, Mike, and I agree; a streamlined process will bring many benefits. I'm not sure it's easier. It's more transparent what the process will be. It will make it much more obvious to the developer what they need to include in their initial…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Diolch, Mabon. So, there are a number of things; just to say it’s an overarching answer, before I get into some of the specifics. This Bill is a process Bill. It’s about changing the process by which we consent things. It is not a policy Bill, so it is not…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Janet. So, a number of specific questions there. The statutory consultees will be consulted at pre-application stage by the applicants, and at the examination stage by the Welsh Ministers. Where they are consulted, a substantive and timely response…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
This Bill introduces a modern and simplified regime for the consenting of significant infrastructure projects in Wales, both on the land and in the territorial sea. Having an efficient and effective consenting regime is vital to the timely delivery of…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: The Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I stand in the Chamber today to discuss the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill before the Senedd.
