Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:47 pm on 5 October 2021.
Oh, come on, First Minister, if motorists trapped on a gridlocked M4 are the most environmentally friendly policy the Welsh Government's got, then we are in serious trouble, aren't we? Now, First Minister, not only is climate change affecting our communities and people, but it's also affecting our natural world and wildlife too. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 will take place next week to agree a new global biodiversity framework, and, by signing the Edinburgh declaration, the Welsh Government has at least recognised the severe threat that biodiversity loss poses to our livelihoods and communities. However, there's an urgent need to tackle this crisis too. Wales is falling behind the rest of the UK when it comes to marine protected area designation, Wales is not yet meeting the four long-term aims of sustainable management of natural resources, and the 2019 RSPB 'State of Nature Report' showed that more than 30 per cent of species have decreased in distribution since the 1970s— species like red squirrels and water voles, which were once widespread in Wales and are now restricted to a few sites and are under real threat of extinction.
So, First Minister, let me try again: can you name one species that is now safer, then, because of Welsh Government intervention, and given that one of the strategic goals of COP26 in November is to adapt to protect communities and natural habitats by protecting and restoring ecosystems, can you confirm that your Government will now come forward with an urgent strategy before then to address Wales's nature crisis?