I'm really delighted that rights have been granted for the Erebus project, which could create subsequent projects of approximately 300 MW in the Celtic sea. The project will initially focus on a 100 MW demonstration project, which is predicted to power over 93,000 homes per year, and this would save 151,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Of course, I'm also pleased that the proposed tidal lagoon off the Denbighshire coast received council approval. This project would see an estimated 22,000 jobs created, including between 6,000 and 7,000 at the construction phase. The tidal lagoon, which would have the capacity to generate 5—I can never say this—TWh in a year, could power up to 1 million homes. Tidal lagoons and barrages are also able to assist in flood prevention for coastal communities, so that means that investments we make now will produce savings over the long term.

Offshore renewables also have the potential to generate thousands of green jobs in Wales. It has oft been said there should never be a choice between supporting the economy and protecting the environment. Here is the perfect opportunity now to do both.

The Wales national marine plan states the Welsh Government would support further commercial deployment of offshore wind technologies. But I'm afraid, Minister, words have to be backed by action: 2020 saw the lowest annual deployment rate of new renewable capacity since 2010, with just 65 MW being commissioned. This is disproportionately low compared with the peak seen in 2015, when 1,019 MW were commissioned. Offshore wind has the second lowest number of projects in Wales, with just three. In comparison, onshore wind has 751 projects. Despite this, offshore wind has the capacity to generate 726 MW of electricity, behind only onshore wind and solar photovoltaics. So, this is particularly disconcerting since the Welsh Government recently applauded itself for being an early adopter of offshore wind.

As shadow Minister for climate change, it is very important to ensure that these projects also protect local wildlife and biodiversity. Offshore wind can positively influence biodiversity within the world seas. So, to ensure this, we should develop a strategy for reversing sea bird decline and review it at least once in every Senedd. The Minister is very aware of how I want to ensure that we do have a strategic marine spatial plan in order that there are certain areas where renewable energy producers can go and other areas where, no, those would be left for biodiversity and conservation projects.

We need to see a plan to see offshore windfarms also acting as artificial reefs, attracting more marine life than natural reefs, by functioning as fish accumulation devices. Local fishermen—. In fact, one of our main fishermen in Conwy is desperate to get involved with companies providing offshore wind near my constituency, but trying to get those talks under way, because there is the prospect of wrapping mussel ropes around the bases of wind turbines, so that way you can have both—you can actually have your marine conservation and biodiversity, but at the same time, working together in terms of renewable energy, developing a strategy for sustainable seafood harvesting from within the areas of windfarms.

So how do we ensure that these projects come to fruition and that more like them are approved in a timely fashion? We need, our renewable energy providers need, a clear and responsive framework from the Welsh Government. Last May, the Senedd unanimously accepted our legislative proposal for marine planning in Wales. This would create a duty for the Welsh Government to facilitate the creation of a national marine development plan and establish strategic resource areas for marine energy. As Welsh Conservatives, we would invest £150 million in a Wales marine energy investment fund. We would also fund a Welsh tidal feasibility study to accelerate the delivery of tidal power projects around Wales and provide open-source data for developers.

The renewable energy targets set in 2017 include generating 70 per cent of electricity consumption from renewables by 2030, and to have 1 GW of renewables owned locally by 2030. If the Welsh Government doesn’t get behind more offshore renewable projects, these targets will be virtually impossible to meet. Only last week, Minister, you were talking about having come back from COP15, and some of the fantastic ideas that you picked up whilst out there. We all agreed, cross-party, that maybe you would come back to the Chamber at some time and talk with us about what ideas you picked up from there. So, without further ado, I’ll say my bit. I know we’ve got some really interesting contributions from my own group, but also, I hope, from other Members in this Chamber. Diolch.