Welsh environment law aims to protect rivers and nature
A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh government. If passed in the Senedd, it will allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. Public bodies in Wales will also be forced to publish nature recovery action plans, with targets set by the Welsh government.Campaigners say the bill is long overdue, citing the "systemic failure" of the Welsh government and regulatory bodies "to keep our rivers clean and prosecute those who pollute them".
Campaigners and politicians have repeatedly told the government to "crack on" and criticised the time it has taken to plug what has been seen as a gap in environmental protections after Brexit.People used to be able to complain free of charge to the European Commission if they felt their government and its public bodies were not doing enough to abide by green laws and protect nature. It could decide to investigate on their behalf and force member states to take action - notable examples involving Wales included a failure to tackle sewage discharges, addressing emissions of harmful pollutants from Aberthaw coal-fired power station in the Vale of Glamorgan as well as air pollutions levels on some of Wales' busiest roads. The UK government set up an independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in 2021 to carry out a similar role for England and Northern Ireland, while the Scottish government set up an organisation called Environmental Standards Scotland in the same year.It left Wales as the only part of the UK without permanent arrangements in place.The repeated criticism of campaigners will now be addressed with the establishment of the Office of Environmental Governance Wales. Its role will include ensuring public authorities, such as the Welsh government, Natural Resources Wales and councils, are complying with and implementing the law.
Other elements of the bill include ensuring Welsh government ministers and the regulator Natural Resources Wales apply environmental protection when making policy.It also puts "ambitious" targets focused on reversing the loss of wildlife into law with public bodies tasked with preparing and publishing a nature recovery action plan for their areas. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca-Davies described it as "crucial legislation that will empower us to address climate and nature emergencies, safeguard our environment from harm and ensure a sustainable future for Wales"."Wales is facing unprecedented challenges in respect of climate change and biodiversity with severe weather events like floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires significantly impacting our communities, our ecosystems and even our economy," he said. "The urgency to act has never been greater, and this Bill is an important step in strengthening our response and oversight of action in Wales."
Alex Phillips of WWF Cymru said he was "very happy" at the bill's introduction but "it has been more than eight years in the making so is long overdue". Specific targets on saving and restoring particular species and habitats will only be decided on after the bill becomes law, and with the latest stocktake of Wales' wildlife in 2023 revealing that one in six species were at risk of disappearing."Other parts of the UK have moved ahead of us in this regard and quite a number of areas," Mr Phillips said. "We've known we've had to do this for nearly a decade now, and those major issues like water pollution haven't just come overnight."Mr Phillips said research WWF had commissioned showed "a systemic failure" of Welsh government and other public bodies (as well as subsidiary bodies such as Natural Resources Wales) to act to address river pollution, "which is principally being caused by agriculture and sewage". He said: "Seven out of nine of Wales' iconic rivers protected for species and habitats of international importance are now deemed to have reached excessive levels of phosphorus pollution."The Welsh government talks a good game about nature recovery and the meeting of international commitments, but the evidence shows that this isn't being delivered on the ground."
Anthony Slaughter who is the leader of Wales' Green Party described the bill as "recklessly weak".He said: "The lack of urgency for people and planet is astounding. "Communities suffering regular flooding, damaged infrastructure, land slips, and vanishing wildlife will wonder what on earth Labour are waiting for."Annie Smith, RSPB Cymru's head of nature policy and casework, said she was "delighted" that the 'Nature Positive' Bill had "finally" been laid but said she "would like to see it go even further". "As it is coming right at the end of the Senedd term, it will place the tools to drive change in the hands of the next Welsh government and Senedd and it must leave no room for doubt over the urgency of stepping up action to reverse biodiversity loss," she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
A&E 'should have been warned' by paramedics about seriously ill 21-year-old with sepsis
A&E 'should have been warned' by paramedics about seriously ill 21-year-old with sepsis .'Caring' Bethan Amy James was admitted to hospital by ambulance and died the next day Bethan James was just 21 when she died Paramedics 'should have' alerted A&E staff that the seriously ill daughter of a former cricket star was on her way to hospital, an inquest has heard. 'Caring' and 'beautiful' Bethan Amy James was admitted to hospital on February 8, 2020 and died the next day. An ongoing inquest into her death, which began on Tuesday, heard that her death was caused by a combination of sepsis, pneumonia and Crohn's disease. Budding journalist Bethan was the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James. A highly respected sports journalist himself, Mr James was away covering Wales' Six Nations match in Ireland when his daughter was taken seriously ill. Heartbreakingly due to weather delays he was unable to get home and see her before she died. In the lead up to Bethan's death, her family say she was 'dismissed' by multiple medics and that 'her life could have been saved'. During the second day of Bethan's inquest on Wednesday it was heard how there was an apparent 'insufficient urgency' when paramedics arrived at Bethan's home in St Mellons, Cardiff, that evening. Giving evidence, paramedic Laura Wilson accepted that she should have 'pre-alerted' the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff of Bethan's arrival. However, she did not. Article continues below She said her experience with Bethan has informed her practice as a paramedic as well as her understanding of sepsis. Speaking to coroner Patricia Morgan, Ms Wilson said: 'It was a long time ago. My practice is completely different now than it was then. 'At the time, on reflection, I should have pre-alerted and taken that phone call to the hospital. I was aware Bethan was very poorly and we needed to get her to hospital.' She added that at the time she wasn't fully aware of the 'nature of decline' associated with sepsis. Emergency medical technician Aaron Hook - who drove the ambulance and accompanied Ms Wilson - agreed that a pre-alert 'definitely' should have happened. The inquest heard evidence that blue lights were not activated during the journey from Bethan's home to the hospital. Ms Wilson accepted this was her decision but said activating the lights may not have been appropriate. 'The purpose is to make progress to [the destination] and alert other road users of your presence,' she told the inquest. 'Their use wouldn't have achieved [this] any quicker and my thought process was using sirens and lights would have only served to add to Bethan's stress.' She noted that Bethan looked 'very poorly' and that she was 'very upset and distressed'. Bethan was the daughter of Glamorgan and England cricket star Steve James The inquest heard how the ambulance was on the scene for 29 minutes in total, which Ms Wilson said was 'not unreasonable'. Although she did not pre-alert the hospital she told the inquest that the University Hospital of Wales is 'prompt' and 'the best' in the area at offloading patients from ambulances. She estimated that it took around five or 10 minutes for Bethan to get into hospital, adding there was 'no major delay'. However the inquest heard further evidence that Mr Hook rushed into the hospital to find a bed for Bethan in resus. It was heard that the nurse in charge of resus that day, Carys Williams, told Mr Hook that the ward was at full capacity, but that she was aware of a 'buffer bed' - which is used when no beds are available - in the nearby 'majors' department. It is understood that resus is the highest-intensity department at a hospital where those with life-threatening conditions are treated, whereas majors is a step down from this; where patients requiring close observation and treatment are seen. It was heard how Bethan was taken to the buffer bed at the majors department when she first entered the hospital shortly after 7.45pm. She later went down to resus at 9.15pm, before she fell into cardiac arrest at around 9.35pm, it was previously heard. Ms Williams said if staff had been pre-alerted it would have 'rung alarm bells' and triggered a discussion with the consultant. It may have given medics time to select and transfer a current resus patient to the majors buffer bed, she explained. Ms Williams told the inquest how when Mr Hook spoke to her on Bethan's arrival she only recalls him describing Bethan as 'unwell'. When probed by Welsh Ambulance Service Trust Advocate Jack Scott on why she didn't ask Mr Hook for more information, she reiterated that she had no capacity and it could have delayed matters at that point to take a medical history. The family's advocate, Richard Booth, put to Ms Williams an FOI obtained by the family detailing how many beds were available in resus that day, which suggested a bed may have been available. Ms Williams reiterated that she was at full capacity for adults and that the availability likely referred to a free paediatric bay, adding: 'I don't recall any children coming in on that day.' Mr Booth further asked Ms Williams to confirm if she later referred to Bethan's deceased body as 'it'. Ms Williams said she did not and would not have said this. The inquest heard evidence from consultant Bethan Morgan who took charge of Bethan's care less than an hour before she died. Shortly before she passed it was heard how Bethan suffered a cardiac arrest. Mr Booth asked Dr Morgan if she agreed that the cardiac arrest could have been prevented if Bethan had been promptly transferred to the hospital and arrived at resus. In response she said: 'My opinion is I think Bethan would have died of this illness regardless.' She added that it was difficult to say for definite since she had not seen Bethan at the time paramedics first attended her home. She described Bethan's deterioration as 'atypical'. Mr Booth acknowledged that medics at the time were 'trying to piece together' what was causing Bethan's presentation that day, and that it was not known that the cause of Bethan's sepsis was 'viral'. Dr Morgan said: 'I think we assumed it was bacterial at the time of seeing her.' During the first day of the inquest on Tuesday it was heard how Bethan was 'dismissed' by a number of medics in the weeks that led up to her death. Speaking on Tuesday her heartbroken mother Jane James described Bethan as a 'caring' and 'beautiful' person who always put others before herself. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2019 at the age of 20, Bethan documented her experience of the condition through a vlog and had hopes of becoming a journalist. Article continues below Mrs James said: 'As a person she never moaned, she never made a fuss. She was very caring. She was just beautiful. 'She put people before herself. She was more interested in other people and their stories and I think that's why she would have made a brilliant journalist.' The inquest continues
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Climate crisis is more worrying than Putin
If only we were moving towards 'war-fighting readiness' (Report, 1 June) in the defence of our country against climate change, which is 100% likely to occur, unlike a Russian attack. Although I don't disagree with the need to do a bit of sabre‑rattling towards Vladimir Putin, the threats of disastrous floods, storms and droughts are what I worry about much more for my children and StoneSheffield There are plenty of male authors being published ('Men need liberation too': do we need more male novelists?, 31 May). Richard Osman, the Rev Richard Coles, Graham Norton and Bob Mortimer are across all the supermarket bookshelves. All that we authors need to do is become TV celebs, and all our publishing issues are ParkeSelf-published author, Carrshield, Northumberland I recall my old English teacher writing on the blackboard and asking the class to punctuate: 'time flies you cannot they fly at such irregular intervals' (Letters, 3 June). We were all Wagstaff Ammanford, Neath Port Talbot Elon Musk is a 'special government employee' (Report, 30 May), Russia's war on Ukraine is a 'special military operation'. These days, 'special' never seems to signify anything de BrunnerBurn Bridge, North Yorkshire The best colon advice I have ever received is 'eat sufficient fibre' (Letters, 28 May).Chris OsborneWest Bridgford, Nottinghamshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Why we shouldn't cheer Earth's growing population
Jonathan Kennedy raises the tired spectre of 'population control' advocates to argue that we should be happy that the world's population may be undercounted by several billion (Are there billions more people on Earth than we thought? If so, it's no bad thing, 31 May). But while acknowledging that coercive measures to reduce population are a thing of the past, he does not mention that, even historically, the majority of these measures were voluntary and based on educating, empowering and providing contraceptive access to women and girls. This works because women choose lower fertility as soon as they are able to. Yet Kennedy ignores the millennia-old history of empires, churches and the military pushing for them to have more children. He is correct that we should not fear the prospect of immigrants populating rich countries, but wrong that we need them to perform low-wage labour to save us from dire consequences. Alarmist fears of low birthrates are most often spread by the Elon Musks of the world, who have obvious reasons for cheering the cheap labour that comes with population growth. That they are being increasingly parroted by 'liberal' outlets shows that we have lost sight of the lowest- hanging fruit towards taking care of our citizens – taxes that make the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share rather than pressures that push women to have babies they don't want. In a time of deepening climate change, species extinctions and pollution, and of soaring global inequality where people in high-fertility countries want, and deserve, materially secure lives, we should not be cheering the prospect of billions more humans to add to our already dire ecological and social predicaments. Kirsten StadePopulation Balance An entire article about overpopulation and no mention of myriad other species that are being wiped out to accommodate us. I'm not sure that any other animals will be left alive when the population peaks 'at about 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s', or if the planet will still be BinghamMuswell Hill, London Jonathan Kennedy builds on Isaac Asimov's 'bathroom metaphor' to demonstrate the dangers of populist leaders' hostility to immigration. Figuratively speaking, he says they want to keep one bathroom for themselves and force everyone else to share the other one, but that this comes with risks: 'Perhaps the other toilet becomes blocked and the whole flat is inundated with raw sewage.' Right. But this is also what inevitably happens when a limited number of bathrooms are shared with an ever-increasing number of people, even if they are shared equally. We must absolutely become better at sharing resources, but this won't enable infinite growth on a finite planet. There is nothing 'alarmist' about acknowledging that the Earth has limits. In fact, at our current population size, we've already breached close to seven out of nine critical planetary boundaries. It's good to see Kennedy acknowledge that today's population movement focuses on women's empowerment: 'Educating women and giving them control over their lives has proved remarkably effective at reducing fertility rates.' Precisely, not to mention that empowering women is morally essential in its own right. So if we can improve lives and at the same time ensure that there are enough 'bathrooms' for everyone to be comfortable and to avoid disasters, why wouldn't we? Small changes in fertility rates have major impacts on future population sizes. While we are on track for a peak of over 10 billion, the UN's projections also show that if every other woman had one more child than currently expected, our global population would soar to 14.4 billion by 2100, while if every other woman had one fewer child than expected, our global population would decline to 7 billion by 2100. One of these is a lot more compatible with a happy, healthy planet than the NaterPopulation Connection Jonathan Kennedy acknowledges that current concerns about overpopulation relate to 'climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss', but then bewilderingly fails to address any of these issues. An implied cornucopian perspective is taken – these issues do not need to be addressed as either humankind's ingenuity will sort them out or humankind at least will not suffer too much from their effects (with no regard paid to the non-human species that we inhabit the planet with). With humankind currently transgressing at least six of nine planetary boundaries, the cornucopian perspective is a dangerous one and needs to be challenged wherever encountered. Overpopulation needs to be acknowledged as a major challenge to bringing human impacts on our world back within sustainable DelphineMelbourne, Australia Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
