Diolch, Llywydd. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse is a leading threat to humanity. The natural environment underpins our well-being and economic prosperity, yet our relationship with it is completely unsustainable. To ensure future generations are able to enjoy our beautiful natural heritage, we need to accelerate the actions we are taking to halt the decline in biodiversity. 

Over the summer, I've been working with a group of key experts and practitioners to undertake a biodiversity deep-dive to develop a set of collective actions we can take in Wales to support nature's recovery. The deep-dive was held ahead of a landmark United Nations Conference of the Parties, or COP15, in Canada in December, where global leaders will meet to agree targets for the next 10 years to combat the nature emergency.

Through the deep-dive, we identified key recommendations to ensure meaningful delivery of the target known as 30x30: protecting and effectively managing at least 30 per cent of our land, freshwater and sea for nature by 2030. This is one of the global targets to be agreed at COP15. These recommendations build on the action we are already taking as a Government, including the recent action plan to tackle phosphorous pollution in our rivers, and implementing statutory nature targets.

A priority will be to transform our protected sites series so that it is better, bigger, and more effectively connected. These protected sites are very much the jewels in the crown for biodiversity and were designated to protect some of our most important habitats and species in Wales. We will expand and accelerate our nature networks programme to improve the condition and connectivity of our protected sites network and to restore the condition of key habitats to ensure plants and animals are more resilient to climate change. Further designation of sites will also be an important tool in helping to protect our most vulnerable sites, together with appropriate management. I will also raise the ambition of our national peatland action programme, so that, by 2030, the programme will be delivering at a scale capable of reaching the net-zero 2050 target of 45,000 hectares of peatland restored.

To support local collaborative partnership approaches, I am pleased to announce that we will provide an additional £3.3 million to local nature partnerships over the next three years. We recognise that LNPs are key in bringing together organisations, businesses and communities to take collective action to address local priorities. 

Our marine environment contains some of the most biologically diverse seas in the UK, with close to 50 per cent protected within the marine protected area network. However, while we have protected key habitats and species such as the bottlenose dolphin, just over half of those are in unfavourable condition. As a priority, we will accelerate action to complete the MPA network, to ensure the shortfalls in protection of habitats and features are addressed. I will shortly be launching the marine conservation zone designation process as part of our action to complete the network. We will finalise the assessment of potential fishing gear interactions with features of marine protected areas. This will enable us to understand what damage these do to MPA features and what management measures may be needed to prevent this.

I also want to unlock the potential of designated landscapes of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty to deliver more for nature. I believe they have a vital role in reversing nature's decline, as well as contributing to the 30x30 target in some of our most cherished and iconic landscapes. We will support national parks and AONBs to develop prioritised action plans for nature restoration, embedding these in strategic planning.

Llywydd, we also want to establish a series of nature recovery exemplar areas—either existing or new landscape-scale collaborations of public, private, voluntary and community actors who can come together to manage and restore nature in protected areas and the wider landscape.

We also want to explore the role of the new International Union for Conservation of Nature-defined status of other effective area-based conservation measures, OECMs, in recognising areas outside protected sites that can contribute to 30x30. I will set up an expert working group to identify candidate nature recovery exemplar areas and OECMs, including the management vehicles and funding mechanisms needed to establish these.

Llywydd, we will continue to reform land and marine management and planning, including spatial planning, to deliver more for both protected sites and wider land- and seascapes. We will take a strategic spatial approach, underpinned by robust evidence, to ensure that we are taking the right action in the right place. This will be achieved through strengthened guidance, such as 'Future Wales' policy 9, mainstreaming biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and green infrastructure.

We want to invest in specialist advisers to work with land managers and farmers to manage key habitats and ensure the right incentives are designed into the future sustainable farming scheme. 

Tackling biodiversity loss by 2030 will require current delivery to be both more effective and scaled up. We recognise that we need to unlock additional funding to deliver for nature at a far greater scale and pace. As key budget holders, we also have a role to play; we need to ensure all our budgets seek to contribute or deliver positive actions that leave biodiversity in a better state.

Effective monitoring is needed to chart progress towards delivering 30x30. I will establish a monitoring and evidence task group to continue the work needed to establish robust and appropriate monitoring and evidence frameworks.

A society-wide approach is required to tackle both the nature and climate emergencies. We need to build a strong foundation for future delivery through capacity building, behaviour change, awareness raising and skills development, strengthening connections between local communities and nature, and helping people understand and be capable of taking actions that will make a positive difference.

Llywydd, a team Wales effort is required to drive a decade of decisive action so that we can put the brakes on biodiversity decline. It is incumbent upon all of us here today to lead by example so that future generations are able to enjoy the natural environment, as we all have. I am extremely grateful to all who have taken part in my deep-dive, particularly the core group, the expert sub-groups and the round-table discussions, helping put us on a pathway to deliver for a nature-enriched future. Diolch.