7. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Biodiversity

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:00 pm on 10 January 2023.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 6:00, 10 January 2023

Diolch, Llywydd, and wishing you a happy new year and the Minister. So, thank you, Minister. It sounds as though you had a fantastic and rewarding time in Montreal, and I'm sure, like other Members of the Senedd, I would be pleased to hear more about the Parks Canada methodology in due course. Now, as you know, COP15 saw the adoption of the global biodiversity framework on the last day of negotiations, and the aims were really to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights. The plan includes concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30 per cent of the planet and 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030. So, we do know, Minister, that you are committed to the 30x30 target, and that you have today noted that you will develop legally binding nature targets underpinned by a new strategic biodiversity action plan. So, will the legally binding targets include the 30x30, and when will the regulations be tabled for our consideration? 

Target 7 agreed at COP15 is to reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources by 2030. Now, last March, our Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee published a report on storm overflows in Wales. It highlighted such horrendous facts as that, by 2020, there were over 105,000 incidents of untreated sewage being dumped into Welsh water courses, up from 14,485 incidents in 2016. In your response to our report, you agreed that reducing impacts from storm overflows is very important and advised that the Welsh Government is focusing on sustainable nature-based solutions to divert and remove as much surface water as possible away from the sewerage systems to increase network capacity. So, how much progress is being made, Minister, on implementing these nature-based solutions to divert and remove surface water from sewerage systems? 

Target 16 calls for us to ensure that people are encouraged and enabled to make sustainable consumption choices and, by 2030, reduce the global footprint of consumption in an equitable manner, halving global food waste, significantly reduce overconsumption, and substantially reduce waste generation in order for all people to live well in harmony with Mother Earth. Now, clearly, by backing my colleague Peter Fox and his Food (Wales) Bill, we could help to achieve that target. And it was just disappointing recently to see at first hand how that was, despite all the hard work from officials within the Commission and, indeed, Peter Fox himself, not supported in any form. So, we do need to see action by you, following unanimous support for the motion in November, which saw the Welsh Parliament vote to see the Welsh Government take several steps, including developing a more self-sufficient food system for Wales by creating a road map towards a food system that's fit for the future and provides communities with a sustainable source of food, but also using procurement levers to create a requirement for supply chains to be free from deforestation, conversion and social exploitation as part of the transition to utilising locally produced and sustainable goods. Now, the question I have for you, Minister, is: what progress have you made on moving forward with actions to address the impacts of Wales's own domestic consumption on the world? 

Finally, it is fair to acknowledge that you do try to be ahead of the game, through publishing the biodiversity deep-dive in October. I am particularly interested in, and supportive of, your plans for the marine environment, including establishing a targeted scheme to support restoration of seagrass and saltmarsh habitats along our coastline, and also the implementation of a spatial approach to marine planning. So, whilst I would appreciate an update on work to protect 30 per cent of our seas, I would be interested to learn whether you heard of any other marine initiatives whilst you were present at COP15 that we may be able to implement here and benefit from. Thank you and diolch.