3. What has the Minister done to reduce the carbon footprint of her department in the past year? OQ58745

The Welsh Government, along with other public organisations, has a responsibility to reduce its carbon impact and to act as a role model for others. Officials in our department have developed a net-zero strategic plan for the Welsh Government, which will be published before Christmas to inform future action.

Thank you for that, Deputy Minister. We all accept in this Chamber that there is a massive issue with climate change, and no-one can deny that. Your Government often talks about tackling the climate emergency. Indeed, the Welsh Government refused to go to the recent COP27 in Egypt, as the Minister stated, due to concerns over the carbon footprint. That is a very moral decision. However, Welsh Government Ministers and officials this year have enjoyed a world tour that I think would put many rock bands to shame. You've been to Norway, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, USA, Qatar, and I'm sure there are plenty more venues to come. Indeed, I have to tell you that some of these places are further away than Egypt, and, as a result, there will be a substantial increase in the carbon in the atmosphere. So, I'd like to know how you and the climate Minister can justify not going to COP in the light of the Minister's comments and all that the Welsh Government is doing to tackle the climate emergency.

The ministerial code makes it clear that Ministers have to think carefully about the need to travel and whether or not there is a justification for it. Of course, there will be times when there is a justification for it. The examples that he chose were about pursuing trade opportunities, about developing relationships with other countries, and about telling people about the work that we are doing. There is a role for that, but we need to do it selectively. So, yes, Julie James and I decided it wouldn't be appropriate to go to this year's COP because it was not a decision-making COP, as last year's in Glasgow was. Instead, Julie James will be going next month to Canada for the biodiversity COP because we think we can add value to that in a way we didn't think we'd add value to the Egypt one, even though we were represented by officials. I realise the Member is interested in making a cheap point, but there is force to the argument that we need to be minimising our own carbon footprint and we should not be travelling internationally unless there's a strong case for it, as indeed the ministerial code makes clear.