Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 11 January 2023.
Gweinidog, this week, it's been reported that global pollinator losses are causing 500,000 early deaths a year because of reduced supply of healthy food. Scientists say that about 1 per cent of all deaths can now be attributed to pollinator loss. As species champion for the shrill carder bee, one of our most endangered bumblebees, this causes me concern. It should alarm us all, because the health of our pollinators is directly linked to our own health and our planet's future. Harvard's Dr Samuel Myers has said that this link between biodiversity and human health is often missing in these discussions. So, could you set out, please, what the Government will do to protect and recreate nature-rich habitats, particularly those with an abundance of flowers? Schemes like the environmental land management schemes and the Welsh sustainable farming scheme need to be well funded, of course, to incentivise farmers. Can the Government do more, please, to tackle the use of pesticides? The EU, I know, has proposed a 50 per cent reduction in pesticide use by 2030. We should be doing at least that, I would hope. Will there be a Welsh plan to help the transition to sustainable alternatives and the use of more resilient crops, please?