Commissioner challenges climate emphasis in Wales’s new government plan

Wales’s Future Generations Commissioner has challenged the emphasis given to climate change and nature in the Welsh Government’s new four-year programme. Derek Walker said it was unclear how the programme and its well-being objectives would work together to address Wales’s long-term challenges.

What Walker is asking for

In a statement on Wednesday 23 September, he argued that better health, stronger communities, economic growth and lower inequality cannot be separated from action on climate and nature. He welcomed ambitions within the programme, as well as the commitment to review the Well-being of Future Generations Act. His criticism concerns the prominence and connection of environmental action across policy, rather than a claim that the document contains no climate measures.

What the programme actually promises

The programme’s climate and nature section commits ministers to an action plan covering the whole government, supported by a Climate and Nature Board. It sets out a pathway towards net zero by 2040 and substantive nature recovery by 2050. It also promises action on air quality, waste and water pollution, and an independent environmental governance office.

The document says climate action and nature should be prioritised across ministerial portfolios. It also pledges to review the Future Generations Act in collaboration with the commissioner. Those are published commitments, not evidence that the measures have already been delivered. Walker’s statement puts their coordination and delivery under scrutiny.