Experts call on Wales to up its game in response to climate change

Wales has made “insufficient progress” in implementing its plan for climate change adaptation according to an expert report which warns: “There is a clear need for a more effective response to climate change in Wales.”

The Climate Change Committee has reported that the current climate change adaptation policy in Wales has failed to keep track of climate adaptation leaving the committee “unable to evaluate progress on delivery for more than half the adaptation outcomes”.

In its report Adapting to climate change: Progress in Wales, the committee said: “Across almost all areas, even where there is some good planning in place, monitoring and evaluation are limited or showing insufficient progress towards desired outcomes.”

It found “credible or partial planning for about a third of climate resilience outcomes,” but went on: “The variable score reflects a lack of clarity in responsibilities for responding to climate risks across the public sector.”

The committee called for policy that demonstrated a “Team Wales approach”: “The next national adaptation plan for Wales must go further to drive delivery across the public sector and more widely. Policies should aim to enable action within government, across the public sector and elsewhere.

It emphasised the need for “greater clarity on risk owners” and better definition of “where responsibility for delivering adaptation action sits.” The committee called on the Welsh government to “embed adaptation into its plans for Net Zero, future well-being and increasing biodiversity,” warning that, “Without consideration of climate risks, these other societal goals will not be achieved.”

Among the priorities it identified for Wales’ next national adaptation plan the committee included Increased ambition and extending action beyond central government.