2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 5 October 2021.

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Photo of Samuel Kurtz Samuel Kurtz Conservative 2:36, 5 October 2021

I refer Members to my entry in the register of interests. Firstly, I would like to thank the Minister for Climate Change for taking the time to answer my written questions on carbon offsetting and the net Welsh emissions account—the NWEA. And I'm sure the Trefnydd will share my alarm regarding the fact that international businesses are offsetting their own carbon emissions at the expense of traditional Welsh farmland—she and I have already briefly discussed this. Indeed, I'm sure the Trefnydd and her ministerial colleague, the Minister for Climate Change, are well aware that the offloading of Welsh carbon credits to businesses outside of Wales does nothing to reduce Wales's own carbon footprint; also, the sale of carbon in this way risks undermining the ability of Welsh farms, Welsh agriculture, or Wales as a whole to become carbon neutral. Therefore, will the Minister make an urgent statement on what steps the Government is taking to protect traditional Welsh farmland from being bought up by foreign businesses? And what safeguards exist to ensure that Welsh carbon credits, bought for the purpose of offsetting emissions from outside of Wales, are not double counted and used to offset Wales's own emissions? Diolch.