2. What assessment has the Minister made of the United Nations report which states that one million species are at risk of extinction as a direct result of human activity? OAQ53855

Thank you. Llywydd, I understand that you've given your permission for questions 2 and 3 to be grouped.

Yes, I had, but the Member asking question 3 is not in the Chamber. So, the grouping cannot therefore be grouped. So, answer the question as question 2. 

Thank you. I hadn't noticed the Member wasn't present, sorry. 

I'm gravely concerned about the global loss of biodiversity. The legislation we have introduced requires all public bodies, including Welsh Ministers, to proactively maintain and enhance biodiversity through the decisions they make. We also provide financial and practical support to community groups to take action in their local area.

I thank you for that answer. Minister, the inter-governmental science policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services report ranked five direct drivers of change in nature with the largest global impacts being change in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, including slurry, pesticides and herbicides, and invasive species. The impacts of these human activities on biodiversity have been catastrophic, particularly in recent years. However, despite that, the report does go on to be quite positive and it does say that it's not too late to make a difference, but only if action is taken at every single level, from local to global. And through that transformative change, nature can still recover.

I know that you've outlined some of the changes that are being made, and you know that I repeatedly call for action on slurry and other usage. So, what immediate action is the Welsh Government planning now to at least halt and then also reverse the damage that is being done?

Thank you. Certainly, the report that was published last week is deeply worrying, but, like you, I was very pleased that the global assessment did recognise that it's not too late to reverse a trend, but it does require that transformative change to which you referred. I do think that we're ahead of the game in recognising that biodiversity underpins our economic and our social well-being, and it's, I think, as big a challenge as climate change. We've got our world-leading and groundbreaking legislation and our policy to manage our natural resources sustainably. 

We've got our natural resources policy, which sets out our priorities to enable us to reverse decline. I want to achieve more resilient ecosystems, and we'll do that through the policy. We've also got our nature recovery action plan, and I've asked for a refresh of that. That's currently under way, and that's going to report back before the end of the year. 

I absolutely hear what you say about slurry and agricultural pollution, and you'll be aware of the regulations that I'm bringing in next January. I'm still working very closely with stakeholders on the voluntary initiatives because I think it's better to have that twin approach.

Minister, I'm sure everyone in the Chamber will agree that the UN report makes for very sober reading and highlights the urgency that is required in protecting our wildlife.

The report identifies that one of the direct drivers of decline in species is pollution, which, of course, includes plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is a huge problem and, as the Atlantic puffin species champion, I am concerned about the impact marine plastic may have on the puffin population in Wales, particularly those on Skomer island.

Puffins, whilst they are doing relatively well in Wales, are currently on the amber list of UK birds of conservation concern as they are vulnerable to adverse changes in the environment because their breeding population is concentrated on a small number of sites. As such, increases in marine plastic pollution puts pressure on puffins in both Wales and the wider environment. In the circumstances, what specific work is the Welsh Government doing to reduce the amount of waste that actually ends up in our ocean so that we help to clean up our seas to protect our marine wildlife for future generations?

Thank you. I think I'm going to hear from a lot of Members about the species that they're champions for this afternoon, looking at the questions.

I think the Member raises a very important point about marine pollution, and certainly there have been several campaigns that have highlighted that. I'm working very closely with my colleague the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government around the waste agenda. There are several initiatives that we're bringing forward, but we do appreciate that we're going to have to do far more in regard to this. I think behavioural change is also very important, in the way that we did it with recycling, and that's something that we're looking at this year also.