Latest news with #FutureGenerationsReport
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business News Wales
Future Generations Commissioner Urges Wales to Double Ambition for Community Energy
Learners at Garnteg Primary School try out the solar panel kit helping to reduce energy bills and create a generation of planet stewards. Image by Patrick Olner. Local power, owned and run by communities, can be the key to solving Wales' future energy needs, says the Future Generations Commissioner. Welsh Government needs to be more ambitious so Wales has more solar, wind and water energy sources owned by and earning money for local people, said Derek Walker. Mr Walker, whose role is to challenge government on how they're improving lives for people born in the future, wants to see more schools, health centres and community buildings in Wales powered by renewable energy, where communities earn and save money from the energy themselves. In his Future Generations Report, he calls for more resourcing and support from Welsh Government for renewable energy projects, owned and led by community organisations and local authorities, and asks public bodies to do more to collaborate with the community, to release land for local energy schemes, and purchase the energy. Mr Walker is meeting First Minister, Eluned Morgan, on World Environment Day, June 5, to advocate for more support for local energy. During the meeting he will share the work of Star of the Sea, Borth, an arts and music venue with roof-top solar panels, which directly powers the neighbouring NHS GP surgery. His Future Generations Report highlights further collaborative successes, including Awel Aman Tawe and its two-turbine 4.7 MWp community windfarm 20 miles north of Swansea, and a community-owned micro-hydro turbine in Bethesda which generates electricity that is sold to the grid from the local river, with profits reinvested back into the community. Wales has already achieved 1GW of locally owned renewable electricity and heat capacity, against its target of 1.5GW by 2035. Mr Walker said he wants to see at least a doubling of the target to 3GW by 2035. 1GW is enough to power half a million homes. He said: 'Community energy will play a crucial role in addressing climate change, involving communities in decisions, reducing energy bills, creating jobs and helping Wales become more energy-resilient in the future. 'While Welsh Government has committed to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community enterprises and good work is being done, the targets aren't ambitious enough. 'I want to see Welsh Government increase resourcing to its Energy Service, so that over the next 10 years we can unlock the latent potential and make our communities the new power hubs in Wales.' A learner at Garnteg Primary School using solar equipment helping to save the school money, and our planet. Image by Patrick Olner. The Welsh Government Energy Service has invested £210 million in more than 400 projects since 2018, including wind farms, rooftop solar installations, low carbon heating schemes, hydropower and zero emission fleets and EV. This, Welsh Government says, will achieve an estimated £367 million in local income and savings in their lifetimes and will have prevented the burning of nearly 300,000 tonnes of coal. In 2023, it set a target for 1.5 GW of locally owned renewable energy generation capacity by 2035, with an expectation for all new energy projects to have at least an element of local ownership from 2020. It has also committed to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community enterprises in Wales by over 100 MW between 2021 and 2026. Paul Cowley, Community Renewables Technical Manager, Welsh Government Energy Service, said: 'Across the nation, community organisations are grappling to address very real issues from the local to the global. Community energy delivers on multiple fronts, supporting local jobs, helping to build community resilience, responding to fuel poverty and the affordability of energy and taking action to tackle the causes and effects of climate change. 'The Energy Service provides a range of technical advice and funding support to local councils and social enterprises. The latent demand for such projects is huge so we welcome the commissioner's call for more community energy in Wales.'
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Future Generations Commissioner wants more renewable energy
Derek Walker wants the Welsh Government to be more ambitious, with increased solar, wind, and water energy sources owned by and generating money for local people. Mr Walker, who challenges the government on improving future citizens' lives, envisions more Welsh schools, health centres, and community buildings running on renewable energy, with communities benefiting financially. In Torfaen, 14 schools are benefiting from renewable energy sources, which has included the installation of solar panels. The project has resulted in an estimated saving of 2,459 tonnes of CO2 and £240,000 in annual energy costs across Torfaen Council. This has allowed some schools, like Garnteg Primary School, to buy laptops and iPads with the money saved on energy bills. Ceri Williams, Schools Energy Finance Officer at Torfaen Council, said: "Every school has reported fantastic results – even on a cloudy day, energy is being generated and savings being made." The project is also an educational tool for students, with plans to integrate the data and learnings from the solar installations into the curriculum. Headteacher, Susan Roche, said: "The solar installation project is an exciting opportunity for all the school community. "Not only will the school make huge financial savings, but it will equip our pupils with vital life skills and knowledge about green energy for the future." The Welsh Government Energy Service has invested £210 million in more than 400 projects since 2018. This investment is expected to yield an estimated £367 million in local income and savings. Wales has already achieved 1GW of locally owned renewable electricity and heat capacity, against its target of 1.5GW by 2035. But Mr Walker wants to see at least a doubling of this target to 3GW by 2035, with 1GW enough to power half a million homes. He has urged the Welsh Government to provide more resources and support for community-led renewable energy projects in his Future Generations Report. He also requested public bodies to collaborate more with communities, release land for local energy schemes, and purchase the generated energy. Mr Walker said: "Community energy will play a crucial role in addressing climate change, involving communities in decisions, reducing energy bills, creating jobs, and helping Wales become more energy-resilient in the future." Paul Cowley, Community Renewables Technical Manager at Welsh Government Energy Service, said: "The Energy Service provides a range of technical advice and funding support to local councils and social enterprises. "The latent demand for such projects is huge, so we welcome the commissioner's call for more community energy in Wales."
Business News Wales
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business News Wales
Future Generations Commissioner Urges All Councils to Back Veg in Schools Project
The Future Generations Commissioner is urging all Welsh councils to commit to children having more Welsh vegetables on their school dinners. Five new councils have now signed up to the Welsh Veg in Schools project, following seven who joined last year. Now Derek Walker says he wants all 22 to do the same as part of his calls for a national food plan. The Welsh Veg in Schools initiative is increasing the supply of locally produced organic vegetables in school meals and Mr Walker said it could be part of a long-term plan to improve Wales' food security and ensure equal access to local, affordable, healthy and sustainable diets. The commitment was one of several made in direct response to the commissioner's report by organisations at the Future Generations Action Summit at National Museum Wales which marked 10 years of the Well-being of Future Generations Act on the launch of the Future Generations Report. The event was attended by 300 people. Katie Palmer, Head of Food Sense Wales, announced that five new councils – Pembrokeshire, Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Gwynedd – will join Welsh Veg in Schools. Bridgend, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Monmouthshire, Powys and Vale of Glamorgan councils are already part of the scheme. Welsh Veg in Schools is a pilot project co-ordinated by Food Sense Wales that aims to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales. Working with partners including Castell Howell, Farming Connect Horticulture, as well as a number of growers, it builds on the commitment from Welsh Government to ensure every primary aged child in Wales is offered a free school meal and that the food used to produce that meal, where possible, comes from local suppliers. Katie said: 'At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals. We aren't producing enough vegetables in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base, bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish.' Food Sense Wales published a report that said around 25% of all vegetables served in schools across Wales could be organic by 2030 with the right planning and investment in infrastructure, and that an increase of 3.3p per meal per day from local authorities and the Welsh Government could enable the inclusion of two portions of local organic vegetables in school meals seasonally. Meanwhile, at the event Pembrokeshire National Coast National Park Authority committed to a real Living Wage plan within two years, which the commissioner is asking for from all public bodies as a critical step to tackle poverty. Pembrokeshire National Coast National Park Authority Tegryn Jones said: 'A living wage makes a real difference to people, it provides a decent standard of living and allows workers to save for the future. 'I encourage all other public bodies in Wales to take this step towards accreditation so that we can shape an economy at local and national level around fair work, for current and future generations.' Ardiana Gjini, Executive Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda University Health Board, committed to using the agreed definition of prevention between Welsh Government and the commissioner's team, to be a pilot site to map their preventative spend. Sir Michael Marmot spoke at the event about the commitment by Welsh Government for the whole of Wales to become a Marmot region – which means committing to tackling inequity through action on the social determinants of health. Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability from Carmarthenshire County Council, talked about the action Carmarthenshire is taking on climate and nature, including a new approach to pasture cutting for pollinators and dedicating council farms to vegetable growing. Julie-Ann Haines, CEO of the Principality Building Society, gave an overview of the role of the private sector in delivering a more sustainable future. Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna CBE, Professor of Management and Organization, Cardiff Business School, spoke about the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and its central role in ensuring that a more equal Wales is a core impact of all action for future generations. Young voices included Saffron Rennison, Public Affairs Executive for Football Association of Wales, and Future Generations Leadership Academy Alumna, who discussed using the Well-being of Future Generations Act in her work, including advocating for better representation of women and Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in football. Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, said: 'The 50 recommendations in my Future Generations Report will help Welsh Government and those delivering public services to improve lives in Cymru. A week after publishing the report, I am already seeing major commitments to my calls and I urge more public bodies to sign up – including the 10 councils who are yet to make a commitment to more vegetables on school children's plates. 'I look forward to seeing more action on nature recovery, more involvement of communities in shaping policy, ringfenced prevention budgets to solve problems before they occur, a national food plan and a real Living Wage plan by every public body within two years.' Hannah Jones, a social and environmental advocate and the outgoing CEO of The Earthshot Prize, was a keynote speaker. The Earthshot Prize is a prize and a platform founded by HRH Prince William and the Royal Foundation in 2020 to search, to spotlight and scale solutions that can help repair and regenerate the planet in this decade.
South Wales Argus
11-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Welsh veg in school dinners call by as Torfaen joins scheme
This comes after the release of his Future Generations Report. Derek Walker wants all 22 Welsh councils to join the Welsh Veg in Schools project, which aims to increase the supply of locally produced organic vegetables in school meals. He believes this initiative could be part of a long-term plan to improve Wales' food security and ensure equal access to local, affordable, healthy, and sustainable diets. Five new councils, Pembrokeshire, Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, and Gwynedd, have signed up to the project, joining seven who signed up last year. Mr Walker said: "The 50 recommendations in my Future Generations Report will help Welsh Government and those delivering public services to improve lives in Cymru. "A week after publishing the report, I am already seeing major commitments to my calls and I urge more public bodies to sign up – including the 10 councils who are yet to make a commitment to more vegetables on school children's plates." The Welsh Veg in Schools project is a pilot initiative coordinated by Food Sense Wales, aiming to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales. Currently, only a quarter of a portion of vegetables per head of the population is being produced in Wales. The project has the potential to increase the market to help realise this commitment. Katie Palmer, head of Food Sense Wales, said: "At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals. "We aren't producing enough vegetables in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base, bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish." Last week, Food Sense Wales published a report that said around 25 per cent of all vegetables served in schools across Wales could be organic by 2030 with the right planning and investment in infrastructure.
