Some good news for nature!
The Natural Resources Wales report published in January warned of collapsing wildlife, with around one in five species in Wales being at risk of extinction. However, the Senedd has brought in important new laws that aim to protect wildlife and help nature recover. These new laws, amending the the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, give Wales stronger tools to turn things around, offering a big step forward for the recovery of the many species that urgently need better protection.
The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill is a landmark legislation just passed by the Senedd to establish a new framework for environmental protection in Wales, including legally binding biodiversity targets and an independent watchdog, the Office of Environmental Governance Wales.
On its website the Senedd outlines the aim of the Bill:
“The aim of the environmental principles provisions is to establish a robust framework for environmental governance in Wales. This framework seeks to addresses three core challenges: combating the combined impact of climate and nature emergencies, protecting the environment from harm, and responding to changes in environmental governance structures following the UK’s departure from the EU.”
See also https://rhossilicc.org.uk/nature-under-pressure-three-new-reports-wales-cant-ignore/