But, to go back to those targets, because they play an important role—targets set the tone and track—how does that landscape look internationally? The Convention on Biological Diversity targets lapsed in 2020; they were global targets to reverse wildlife loss and decline in the natural environment, and the UN confirmed that we had all failed miserably to achieve them. And when you miss a target like that, it doesn't stand still—that loss, that decline, continues apace. The situation gets worse. We now have an obligation to reset biodiversity targets and to back those up with investment, with plans for nature-based solutions, projects to centre on species recovery and changes that will prioritise healthy green and blue habitats across Wales.

Today, I am proud to have with me my species champion badge: I am the species champion for the shrill carder bee, one of many species in Wales that have seen their numbers dwindle over the past few decades. Because of a loss of habitat, wildflower meadows being built on or cut back, the numbers of this bee found in Wales and England have declined by 90 per cent since the 1970s. The Gwent levels in my region has now one of the only populations found in these islands, which is why it's so important that the Gwent levels and other sites of special scientific interest aren't used for solar farms or, indeed, roads. It's why the work that the Friends of the Gwent Levels is doing is so important.

Now, the shrill carder bee is sadly far from being alone in being a species at risk. The 2019 state of nature report found that one in six species in Wales is at risk of extinction. That's 10 per cent of our plants, 36 per cent of mammals and 5 per cent of invertebrates like butterflies, snails and bees. And, again, I know we can all sometimes get lost or overwhelmed in the figures, the percentages, and listening to these lists—what this means is that entire ecosystems are put at risk. Species of butterfly have declined by 52 per cent in Wales since 1976, and mammals like the red squirrel and water voles are at risk of disappearing. Hedgehog populations have declined by 60 per cent since 1995, within my lifetime, and there's been a 71 per cent decline in the stunning greenfinch. Now, since the 1970s, 73 species have been lost in Wales; they have gone, and the rate of that extinction is accelerating.

Now, these catastrophes, these desolations—they're down to us. Nature loss is driven by human activity like agricultural management, the urbanisation of our landscapes, river pollution, air pollution, woodland management. Yes, there are other factors: climate change—which, again, we contribute to—as well as invasive non-native species. But, just as we contribute towards the decline, so too do we suffer as a result. Nature provides us with our sustenance and our food, our energy and our medicines. The 'Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services', which, again, is a long title, but it recognises that nature loss contributes to poverty, to public health and conflict. And I would add to that list intergenerational unfairness. We are robbing future generations of species they might never get to share a world with. We're taking away a sense of wonder, of joy, from this planet, not to mention the question of morality that we have no right to destroy the natural world.

So, Dirprwy Lywydd, what needs to happen? It is high time we declared a nature emergency in Wales, and, as our motion sets out, in that declaration's wake, the Welsh Government as a result must introduce legally binding targets to reverse biodiversity loss and to begin to plan how to recover what has been lost. We are also calling on the Welsh Government to introduce legislation to establish an independent governance body for Wales. Now, I note that the Conservative amendment calls for co-operation and, of course, co-operation is vital on this issue, but this crisis cannot be tackled on a UK basis. The UK Environment Bill talks of an office of environmental protection for England and Northern Ireland only. Scotland has its own environmental standards body. We in Wales need to introduce our own primary legislation, our own governance structure, so the Welsh Government must introduce a nature Bill, an environmental governance Bill—whatever you choose to call it, make it work, make it cover nature targets, make it establish a robust governance body to replace the protections we lost with our departure from the EU, make sure that this crisis is tackled through all ministerial portfolios, particularly agriculture, as well as climate change, and please ensure that public bodies can be held to account if they act in ways that aren't in keeping with reversing biodiversity loss.

Visit Wales makes much of our spectacular scenery in its advertising, and it uses the slogan 'Find Your Epic'. Unless we today declare a nature emergency in Wales, unless we treat the climate and nature crises facing us with the same sense of urgency, and unless we take the steps set out in our motion to reverse the decline, there will shortly be no 'epic' to be found on our hillsides. All that beauty, all that life, all that variety will be lost. Jules Renard said:

'On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.'

Let's make it our role to ensure that the puzzle book of nature retains its richness, that the pieces that make up this majestic jigsaw of the natural world don't get lost because we couldn't be bothered to save them.