7. Will the Minister provide an update on the Government's proposed net-zero skills action plan? OQ58886

Yes. I expect to launch our net-zero skills action plan in early 2023, and no later than the end of February 2023.

Well, thank you for that confirmation because we all recognise that it's very difficult to make progress with this agenda without a workforce that's empowered with the skills to deliver many of the interventions needed to achieve net zero. The Minister for Climate Change did emphasise to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee recently that she couldn't emphasise strongly enough how important it was to make progress on this agenda as a matter of urgency. Now, the plan was to be published in the spring, of course. That was postponed until the summer. That was further postponed until Christmas, and now you have confirmed, of course, that that will happen in the new year. Can I ask why there were these delays and can I ask you to echo what you said in your first answer, that there won't be further slippage?

Yes, I'm happy to confirm about some of the challenges that we needed to take on board. As you've seen, during the year, there have been a number of different events. It was our expectation that we would accomplish it within this financial year, we then had to deal with the shocks that have come at various points in the year, not just the autumn, but we then, as we'd reached the autumn and the challenges of the changed economic picture that radically took over, also wanted to include the latest evidence and advice available from the Climate Change Committee and a number of other publications. It would have been odd, I think, to have published our plan on net-zero skills and then the next day to have received evidence from the Climate Change Committee. So, we're looking to take those into account. I am expecting to be able to make an oral statement on the net-zero skills plan, so you will hear directly from me at the time about what we've done and why, and the balance we're looking to strike, having all of that information available, to how we bring together net-zero skills in a more co-ordinated way, what that will mean for businesses, what it will mean for sectors, what it will mean for providers, and crucially for people who want to equip themselves with these skills in the future as we look to decarbonise our economy and do so in a way that delivers on a just transition.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Floventis Energy, one of the many floating offshore wind companies choosing to invest in the Celtic sea. Floventis have developed the capacity to generate 200 MW of floating offshore wind energy, 35 km off the coast of Pembrokeshire—yet another key player helping us to achieve our net-zero ambitions. The opportunities in the Celtic sea, Minister, are vast: a successful Celtic free port bid, coupled with the renewable energy opportunities could and should supercharge Pembrokeshire into a green energy peninsula. Therefore, I'd be grateful to know what the Welsh Government is doing to futureproof our workforce, giving current and future generations the skills to succeed in the green sector now and into the future. Diolch. 

Well, I should just make the point that, in responding, I won't be making any kind of indication about the free ports and the competing bids. It was mentioned in the question, and I just want to make that absolutely clear. However, my officials are reviewing the bids, together with UK Government officials, as the bidding deadline has finished. But I think you're right to point out that this is an area where we do expect significant economic growth, as well as green energy generation opportunities. It will also be something where, in the net-zero skills plan, I think the Member and the businesses in the sector more broadly will see a recognition of what we're able to do and what we're planning to do to try to make sure that we do capitalise on the economic opportunity that exists. This is one of the areas where I have a good deal more optimism in the year ahead than in some of the sectors that will face more challenges. I think there are people with resources they want to invest, opportunities they want to take up, and I look forward to a range of areas, including Pembrokeshire, taking advantage of the opportunities in the Celtic sea and what they will mean for the future of the Welsh economy.