Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:53 pm on 18 May 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 1:53, 18 May 2022

Thank you for that, Minister. I certainly welcome the deep dive, and I agree with you about the need to be honest and realistic with ourselves, and with the people of Wales, about how there are going to have to be some difficult decisions being made. I would still press you that, really, unless we have this legislation being brought forward in the second year, I worry about how much it could creep further. But I know that that is something, I trust, that you will keep pushing for within the Government as much as possible. I hope that you will.

You have said previously that you wish to see these nature recovery targets for Wales informed by global targets to be agreed at the COP15 summit. This summit has already been subject to delay. There is continuing uncertainty about when it is going to go ahead. All the while, we are in a nature emergency. One in six species in Wales is at risk of extinction in Wales. I know that we often say that statistic, but really, I think that, sometimes, we need to step outside ourselves, almost, to think how devastating that is really going to be.

Could you confirm that the legislation for nature recovery targets, when it is brought forward—? I take your point about how you don't know yet whether it can be in the second year of the Senedd, although again I really do push you on that, please. Will that be affected by any further delays in the COP15 summit, or are there processes within the Government to make sure that that is not going to be a further hindrance to the introduction, please?