9. Short Debate: Meeting our climate commitments — A 100 per cent renewable Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:14 pm on 17 October 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 6:14, 17 October 2018

We have lots of warm words on this, and the Cabinet Secretary has set a challenging 70 per cent target for generating renewable energy for Wales. But we now need to transfer words into action, not least for future generations. Up to now, the planning system has been used to undermine the enthusiasm of citizens who want to do the right things, and most have succumbed under the welter of problems that have been put in their way. Yesterday, we had an encouraging list of innovative housing awards across Wales, which will deliver zero-carbon affordable homes for some 600 households. We need to do more and better. We need to change the planning rules, the building regulations, to ensure that future homes all meet these challenging zero-carbon emissions, which is what Gordon Brown endeavoured to introduce back in 2007 but was torn up by the UK Government in 2015. I recently attended a meeting with Welsh Water, who informed us there was nothing they could do to capture grey water for reuse until the building regulations change to ensure that grey water is separated when it comes off the roof and the roads, so that it doesn't just go into the sea. So, I would urge the Cabinet Secretary to give us a timescale of when we can amend the building regulations to meet the ambitions that we need to deliver on for the sake of our grandchildren.