Written question WQ100250

The Welsh Government is ensuring that action on climate and nature is prioritised through a combination of statutory duties, legally binding targets and stronger environmental governance.

Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 requires Welsh Ministers and public authorities to seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity and promote ecosystem resilience when exercising their functions.

The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026 introduced a framework for legally binding biodiversity targets to drive action to reverse nature loss, strengthen ecosystem resilience and address the underlying causes of biodiversity decline. The Act also recognises the interconnected nature of the climate and nature emergency through the overarching environmental objective and strengthens accountability through the creation of the Office of Environmental Governance Wales, which will provide independent scrutiny of environmental law and help ensure public authorities deliver against their environmental responsibilities.

This approach is further supported by our Climate and Nature Action Plan which will set out a cross-government approach to tackling the climate and nature emergency, charting a practical pathway towards our ambition of net zero by 2040 and substantive nature recovery by 2050.