The Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Rural Affairs - Janet Finch-Saunders MS - has today (23 November) accused the Welsh Government of placing "long-term arrangements for environmental governance on the back burner, squandering this opportunity for Wales to be a world leader in green protections."
Her interventions comes following the news that the Welsh Government has accepted a recommendation from its Environmental Governance Stakeholder Task Group that an independent Commission for the environment should be established to oversee the implementation of environmental law in Wales.
Commenting, Janet said:
"Whilst it is certainly progress to see that the Minister has finally accepted that Wales must introduce an independent environmental watchdog, following my repeated interventions on the matter, this acknowledgement does not address the problem that critical action remains kicked into the long grass.
"We have lost months and seen weeks of recess since this report was delivered in April, during which I would have been pleased to see legislation brought forward to address governance gaps.
"Despite her hollow warm words on the matter, the timeline for the establishment of a successor environmental governance body for Wales remains unclear, and I am nervous that the Welsh response seems now to be set on a course of addressing gaps as they arise.
"In comparison, the UK Government is now in the process of appointing the inaugural Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection, despite the pressures from Covid-19 and Brexit.
"The Welsh Government has consistently placed long-term arrangements for environmental governance on the back burner, squandering this opportunity for Wales to be a world leader in green protections."
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
- Please find Janet's warning of an environmental governance gap, by clicking here.
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS
