Call to scale up climate action in Wales as global talks draw to a close
WWF Cymru is calling for Welsh Ministers to rapidly step up action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, as international climate talks draw to a close this weekend.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are currently meeting in Berlin (7-13 April) to finalise their third Working Group report. The report will look at what can be done to reduce the world’s emissions and tackle the challenges of climate change laid out in the first two reports.
Welsh Government is currently carrying out a ‘refresh’ of its climate change strategy.
Jessica McQuade, Policy and Advocacy Officer at WWF Cymru, said:
“The world’s scientists are telling us that climate change is a massive risk that the world isn’t doing enough to tackle. We simply must act – and in Wales we must do all we can to play our part.
“We now need Welsh Ministers to step up action to cut our emissions – and it’s vital they take the IPCC reports on board, especially the recommendations in the third report on what needs to be done.
“In practical terms we need to see Welsh Government do everything it can within its devolved powers, as well as using its influence elsewhere, to shift our energy system from fossil fuels to renewables. It will need Ministers in Cardiff to put pressure on Westminster to move towards a decarbonised energy supply’.
“Another important area for action is on housing – where we need to see Welsh Government massively scale up home energy efficiency schemes. Our research shows that if we cut the housing sector’s current carbon emissions by a quarter it will also cut fuel poverty by 40% - benefitting 132,000 households which spend more than 10% of their income on heating.”
