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The Second Annual Report of the Climate Change Commission for Wales February 2013

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Page 1: The Second Annual Report · 2013-02-19 · UK Committee on Climate Change (UKCCC) second report to Welsh Government on progress in Wales on reducing emissions and preparing for climate

The Second Annual Reportof the Climate Change Commission for Wales

February 2013

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Contents

Chair's Foreword 03Executive Summary 05

1. Climate Change Context 071.1 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 081.2 Responding to the Challenges and Opportunities 09

2. Progress in Wales 102.1 UK Commitee on Climate Change’s Review of Progress 112.2 UK Commitee on Climate Change’s Recommendations to Welsh Government 132.3 Commission’s Review of Progress on its Recommendations to Government 15

3. Priority Areas for Action 163.1 Building Resilience to Manage the Impact 173.2 Reducing Emissions from Built Environment 183.3 The Transport Challenge 203.4 Accelerating the Transition to a Low-carbon Economy 223.5 Leadership Action in the Public Sector 233.6 Engaging Civil Society 243.7 Managing our Land Use 25

4. The Climate Change Commission for Wales 264.1 Role of the Commission 264.2 Sub-groups of the Commission 274.3 Engaging with the Work of the Commission 274.4 Role of the Secretariat 284.5 Meetings of the Commission 284.6 Forward Work Programme 294.7 Contacting the Commission 294.8 Membership of the Commission 30

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In December 2012, the Climate ChangeCommission for Wales marked its fifth anniversary.

Over the past five years, the Commission hasplayed a key role in addressing the challengesof climate change in Wales as a cross-sector,cross-party body, providing advice toGovernment, building consensus for action andindependently reviewing progress.

This document – the second Annual ProgressReport of the Climate Change Commission forWales – reviews progress over the past year andsets out its priorities for action in 2013/14. TheReport should be read in conjunction with theUK Committee on Climate Change (UKCCC)second report to Welsh Government onprogress in Wales on reducing emissions andpreparing for climate change.

When the Climate Change Commission forWales was established in 2007, climate changewas at the top of the political agenda andpublic awareness and concern was high. Sincethen, the impacts of the global financial crisishave dominated headlines and priorities –despite the increasing evidence that greenhousegas emissions will continue to rise and, potentially,lead to a level of global warming (between 4 Cand 6 C) that will create significant disruptionto human life and the natural resources humansrely on for their wellbeing.

My colleagues in the Climate ChangeCommission agree unanimously: a choicebetween the economy and the environment isnot the way forward. We are clear that thesolution to both the financial andenvironmental problems is a transition to alow-carbon economy – only this can deliverboth our climate change and jobs targets.

The overriding priority of the Europe 2020Strategy is achieving smart, sustainable andinclusive growth – or ‘green growth’ – as central to aresource-efficient future for Europe. We areconscious that this is both a competitive andcollaborative agenda in countries around the world.

Progress has been made over the last five yearsbut to become market leaders and deliver‘green growth’ across the economy, a clear routemap, based on global best practice, is needed.The Commission is committed to taking thisforward, working in partnership with Government,business, and the wider community.

We recognise the key role that Natural ResourcesWales (the new single environmental body thatwill be operational from April 2013) and theSustainable Development Bill will play withinWales’ framework to support investment in thetransition to a low-carbon, resource-efficienteconomy.

The Commission’s role, as an independent body,working across political parties and sectors ofsociety, is vital for ensuring that resilience tocope with the impacts of a warmer world is builtand that Wales becomes an early adopter of thelow-carbon economic model.

The original terms of reference for theCommission included the role of the new bodyin establishing:

“An agreed benchmarking and target regime foremission reduction in areas of devolvedcompetency in Wales.”

This was achieved with the launch of the WelshGovernment’s Climate Change Strategy inOctober 2010.

Chair’s Foreword

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The Climate Change Commission for Wales: www.thecccw.org.ukUK Committee on Climate Change Second Report to Welsh Government on Progress in Wales: www.theccc.org.uk/reports/welsh-reports Europe 2020 Strategy: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/documents/related-document-type/index_en.htm The Sustainable Development Bill: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/sdbill/?skip=1&lang=enWelsh Government Climate Change Strategy, October 2010: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/climate-change-strategy-wales Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales: www.cynnalcymru.com

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Meeting the climate change targets will, ofcourse, necessitate Government leadership. TheFirst Minister’s statement at the Climate ChangeCommission 5th Anniversary meeting(December 2012) was very encouraging:

“I would like to thank the Climate ChangeCommission for their hard work. The threat ofclimate change is one of the greatest challenges weface and we must ensure that we do all we can toprepare for those challenges ahead. I witnessedfirst-hand the devastation that extreme weathercan bring when I visited St Asaph last week and Iam committed to ensuring we continue to invest inboth adaptation and mitigation of climate change.Your continued support in this agenda is vital if weare to make any meaningful progress and I lookforward to continuing our work with you.”The delivery of these targets also requiresCommission members to fulfil the brief alsoagreed at that first meeting, to:

“Provide leadership on climate change for theirsector and encourage wider engagement andaction on the issue. I am delighted that theCommission now has the full support of CynnalCymru – Sustain Wales to enable Commissionmembers to fulfil that function.”

I am extremely grateful to the Commissionmembers for their contribution over the last 5years. The report of the UK Committee onClimate Change recognises we have made someprogress in that time, but also sets out the scaleof transformation which we must make over thenext five years.

Peter DaviesChair of the ClimateCommission for Wales &Commissioner forSustainable Futures

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Executive Summary

The second annual report of the ClimateChange Commission for Wales is published inthe interim period of the Government's annualprogress reports. Going forward, theCommission will respond directly to the WelshGovernment's Climate Change StrategyProgress Report, due in Autumn 2013. It will bethe first time Welsh Government will bereporting on delivery of its 3% annual emissionreduction target against emission data in thebaseline period (2006-2010). Subsequently, thethird annual report from the Commission will bea direct review of the Government's progress onemission reductions, as stated in their ClimateChange Strategy. It will be published at the endof 2013.

In this report, the Commission reviews progressagainst the measures that were set out in theClimate Change Strategy (published in 2010)and builds on the recommendations proposedrecently in the UK Committee on ClimateChange second progress report to WelshGovernment. The UK Committee is anindependent statutory body, which wasestablished under the Climate Change Act(2008) to advise UK and devolved administrationgovernments on setting and meeting carbonbudgets, and preparing for climate change.

Since the Welsh Government published itsstrategy, the UK Committee has published twoprogress reports on Wales, with the most recentreport in January 2013 providing emissions datafor 2010 and estimates of emissions trends for2011, against the baseline period (2006-2010).This will enable future reports to reviewprogress against the Government's 3% annualemission reduction target. The ClimateChange Commission for Wales produced its first

annual report in 2012, providing a review ofprogress, with recommendations for Welsh Government.

This progress report is published at a time whenthere is increasing evidence that the continuingrise in global greenhouse gas emissions willhave an even greater effect on the severity ofclimate change impacts than scientists hadpreviously predicted – and that the type andfrequency of the impacts will be unpredictable,making planning for them difficult.

The Climate Change Commission for Wales’ roleis unique and vital. Its independence and Wales-wide, cross-sector, cross-political party reachenables it to build consensus, stimulate actionacross all parts of Welsh society, and to holdGovernment to account for delivery on thetargets set out within the Climate ChangeStrategy. The Commission has identified prioritythemes for action, and these are to:

1. Focus on building resilience to manage theimpact of a changing climate .

2. Scale-up efforts to reduce emissions fromthe built environment .

3. Address the transport challenge that iscentral to our approach to sustainabledevelopment.

4. Accelerate the transition to a low-carboneconomy.

5. Ensure leadership from the public sector tocommunicate and engage people on thechallenges of climate change.

6. Engage civil society to achieve a significantimpact in tackling climate change.

7. Manage our land use to reduce emissionlevels from this sector.

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Climate Change Strategy for Wales First Annual Progress Report, March 2012 (Chapter 14, pg. 72):http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/publications/120329climateannualreporten.pdf UK Committee on Climate Change Second Report to Welsh Government on Progress in Wales, January 2013:http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/welsh-reports The Climate Change Act, 2008: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/27/contentsWelsh Government Emissions Reductions Target:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/emissions/targetsClimate Change Commission for Wales First Annual Report, January 2012:http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/climate-change-commission-wales-first-annual-report

In reporting the progress made, the Commissionwelcomes the recent findings from the UKCommittee's report to Welsh Government, whichconcludes that, although progress in reducingemissions through the implementation ofmeasures has been particularly good in theresidential and waste sectors, significantchallenges remain – suggesting the need forpolicies and associated indicators to bestrengthened.

The Commission also recognises that there are anumber of recommendations contained in itsfirst annual report that have not yet been fullyimplemented. We urges the Welsh Government to:

• Accept the recommendations of the UKCommittee on Climate Change.

• Take action on the outstanding issuesidentified from the Commission’s first report.

• Work with the Commission and partners todeliver on the seven priority areas for actionidentified in this report.

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1. Climate Change Context

It is now widely accepted that the world’sclimate is being affected by increasingemissions of greenhouse gases from humanactivity and, even if efforts to mitigate theseemissions are successful, the earth is alreadycommitted to significant climatic change (IPCC,4th Assessment Report 2007 ).

Despite this assessment, and a call for collectiveglobal action to reduce greenhouse gasemissions (GHG), global emissions of carbondioxide (CO2), increased by 3% in 2011, reachingan all-time high of 34 billion tonnes in 2013 .

In order to have a 50% chance of keeping theglobal mean temperature rise below 2°C relativeto pre-industrial levels, atmospheric GHGconcentrations must stabilise below 450ppmCO2 equivalence. Current atmospheric GHGconcentrations and trends in GHG emissionsmean that these concentration levels are beingexceeded and we are progressing towardslevels that may well result in global meantemperature increases of 4°C. This view wasrecently reinforced by Nicholas Stern, author ofthe UK government-commissioned 'SternReview: The Economics of Climate Change,'who stated that his report underestimated therisks, and that he should have been more "blunt"about the threat posed to the economy by risingtemperatures. A similar view was expressed bythe President of the World Bank who, at thelaunch of their report 'Turn down the heat,'hoped that the report would "shock us into action."

Over the past year, the latest scientific evidencehas been presented to the Commissionmembers by climate change experts,including scientists from the Tyndall Centre, MetOffice, and the Chief Scientific Adviser to WelshGovernment. The empirical evidence andscientific opinions were stark. Professor KevinAnderson of the Tyndall Centre stated:

“There is a widespread view that a four degreefuture is incompatible with an organised globalcommunity, is likely to be beyond ‘adaptation’ andis devastating to the majority of ecosystems andhas a high probability of not being stable.”

The summer of 2012 was the UK’s 3rd wettestsince Met Office records began in 1910. June2012 was the wettest month in Wales, with amonth’s worth of rain falling in just 2 days innorth Ceredigion – resulting in floods thataffected thousands of people. This extremerainfall was preceded by the 5th driest month in100 years, in March 2012.

It is important to note that there will always beuncertainties around the weather but extremeweather events are now a characteristic of thepresent day climate in Wales. These extremeweather events dominate current climate risksand the media. During the last year rain andflooding have had an increased impact onWelsh communities. Climate change is a globalissue and the effects of climate change will varyacross the world as average global temperatureis projected to rise between 4–6 degrees by 2100.

In his paper on Arctic ice melt, ‘The Dark Canary,’Commission member Professor Gareth Wyn Jones states:

“The Arctic is a major determinant of the thermo-halide circulation system of our oceans and of thebehaviour of the North Atlantic jet stream,” and hegoes on to say:

“It appears that Arctic changes are nowinfluencing the strength and path of this jetstream as well as allowing standing, blockingmeanders in it. These have caused this summer’sgreat heat and severe drought in the USA as wellas previously similar events in France andRussia/Ukraine as well as bringing us in NorthWest Europe a disappointing wet and windysummer as the jet stream threw an unremittingseries of Atlantic lows at us!"

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IPCC, 4th Assessment Report 2007: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.shtmlEuropean Commission's Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR): http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php'Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change': http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sternreview_index.htm The World Bank, November 2012: 'Turn down the Heat: Why a 4o warmer world must be avoided Climate Change Commission for Wales meetings: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/5-december-2012The Met Office, June 2012: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2012/second-wettest-summerEnvironment Agency's 'Water Situation Report': www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/WSR_March_2012.pdfLand use sub-group 'The Dark Canary' paper: www.theCCCW.org.ukClimate Change Risk Assessment for Wales http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/government/risk-assessment/#report

Our geographical location in North West Europemeans we are particularly subject to thebehaviour of the jet and gulf streams, so makingprediction difficult and leading to greateruncertainties of the impact of global climatechanges than in other parts of the world.

1.1 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment

In January 2012, the UK Climate Change RiskAssessment (CCRA) was published, includingthe Climate Change Risk Assessment for Wales.This presented an assessment of both thechallenges and opportunities from climatechange, based on the climatic changes projectedby the UK Climate Projections (UKCP09).

Challenges:

• Increases in hot weather-related deaths and illnesses.

• Changes in soil conditions, biodiversity andlandscape due to warmer, drier summers.

• Reductions in river flows and wateravailability during the summer affectingwater supplies and the natural environment.

• Increases in flooding on the coast andinland, affecting people, property andinfrastructure.

• Changes in coastal evolution includingerosion and costal squeeze, affecting beaches,intertidal areas and other coastal features.

• Changes in species including a decline innative species, changes in migration patternsand increases in alien and invasive species.

• Increases in the risk of pests and diseasesaffecting agriculture and forestry. The risk tolivestock is a particular concern.

The CCRA report found a number of potentiallysignificant opportunities for Wales but theseopportunities are likely to be transient as wemove towards even higher temperatures at theend of the century:

Opportunities:

• Increases in grass yields, allowing apotential increase in livestock production.

• Increase in tourist numbers and a longertourist season.

• Reductions in cold-weather related illnessesand death.

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The Commission recognises that:

• Climate science shows clearly that withoutimmediate, radical and sustained reductions inglobal greenhouse gas emissions there will besevere consequences for human society aswell as for the ecosystems and biodiversitythat are essential to human livelihoods.

• Action now on emission reduction willsubstantially reduce long term costs ofimpacts and adaptation, while early action toadapt to climate change will make us moreresilient and less vulnerable to its future impacts.

• As a nation, Wales is living beyond itsenvironmental limits, is over-reliant on fossilfuels and is emitting unsustainable levels ofgreenhouse gas emissions.

• Government has a key leadership responsibility,but concerted actions are needed from allparts of society. Only around one third ofemission reductions are expected to comefrom policies solely under the control of Welsh Government.

• Welsh Government’s Climate Change Strategyand annual reduction targets are comparablewith the more ambitious reduction plansglobally. We need to ensure delivery whilekeeping the relevance of the targets underreview.

• The Climate Change Strategy must be set inthe context of our commitment to sustainabledevelopment, promoting social justice andrecognising that those most vulnerable will behardest hit.

• Wales is well-placed to play a leadership role ina transition to a low-carbon economy, whichwill have many benefits beyond tacklingclimate change – with secure, long termenergy supplies, better air quality, morecomfortable homes and opportunities forbusiness to thrive while producing low-carbonproducts and services.

• The greatest opportunity we have is also thegreatest challenge – to engage with the public toincrease their response to climate change in Wales.

1.2 Responding to the Challenges and Opportunities

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2. Progress in Wales

The Welsh Government published its ClimateChange Strategy in October 2010, alongsideits Emission Reduction Delivery Plan andAdaptation Delivery Plan, setting out the'level of ambition in tackling the causes andconsequences of climate change'.

As part of its statutory role to provide advice toUK and devolved administrations, the UKCommittee on Climate Change published itsfirst report to Welsh Government in 2011 on'Reducing emissions and preparing for climatechange in Wales,' making an initialassessment of progress in Wales along with aseries of recommendations.

The Climate Change Commission's first annualreport followed in 2012, reviewing theprogress of Welsh Government in meetingemission reduction targets and preparing forclimate change. Subsequently, theGovernment published its first annual progressreport, which included a technical annex onthe proposed sectoral indicators, and soughtto incorporate many of the recommendationsproposed by the Committee and the Commission.

Now, in this second annual report, theCommission provides the progress updatefrom both the Committee's second report toWelsh government, published in January 2013,and an update on progress against its ownrecommendations.

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'Climate Change Strategy for Wales, October 2010: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/climate-change-strategy-walesWelsh Government Emission Reduction Delivery Plan, October 2010:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/publications/emissionplan/?lang=enWelsh Government Adaptation Delivery Plan, October 2010:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/publications/adaptationplan/?skip=1&lang=enUK Committee on Climate Change, Welsh Reports: http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/welsh-reports Climate Change Commission for Wales First Annual report, January 2012: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/publications/adaptationplan/?lang=enWelsh Government 'Climate Change Strategy for Wales First Annual Progress Report', March 2012: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/climate-change-strategy-wales-first-annual-progress-report

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2.1 UK Committee on Climate Change's Review ofProgress on Wales' Emission Reduction Targets

In its second report to the Welsh Government,the UK Committee provides its findings onWales' progress in implementing the ClimateChange Strategy for Wales to meet theemission reduction targets and prepare forclimate change. This report presents emissiondata for Wales, over the baseline date (2006-2010) and as defined by the 3% annualreduction target.

The average annual emissions, covered by the3% target over this baseline period, were 32.9MtCO2e, representing 69% of totalgreenhouse gas emissions in Wales. To meetthe target will require an annual reduction ofjust under 1 MtCO2e from 2011, leading toemissions of 23MtCO2e in 2020. In futurereports, both the UK Committee and theCommission will review progress against thisbaseline data.

Whilst it does not report on progress againstemission data for 2011 (which will be madeavailable later in 2013), the UK Committee’s reportprovides an analysis of emission trends in 2010against the baseline data. Using the indicatorsfrom the Government's indicator framework,the following progress has been reported:

1. Emissions increased in 2010, but are likely tohave fallen in 2011, due mainly to weatherand economic factors.

2. Good progress implementing emissionreduction measures has continued, particularlyin the residential and waste sectors.

More specifically:

3. On transport, which accounts for a fifth ofthe emissions covered by the 3% devolvedtarget, emissions in 2010 fell, mainly due toreductions in car emissions. This is as a resultof improved efficiency in new cars and areduction in vehicle kilometres.

4. In the business sector, which accounts for athird of emissions covered by the 3% target,emissions (where electricity use represents ahigher share of the sector’s emissions thandirect emissions) fell by 19% in 2010, overthe baseline period, despite a 10% increasein 2010 as production output recoveredfollowing the 2009 recession.

5. In the residential sector, responsible for aquarter of the 3% annual target, directemissions rose 13% in 2010 due to the coldwinter months of 2010. However, gasdemand would have fallen if using weatheradjusted gas demand data to account forthe exceptionally cold winter. Indirectemissions, meanwhile, were slightly lowerthan the baseline due to a combination ofreductions in carbon-intensity of power andelectricity consumed by end-users.

6. Emissions from agriculture and land use,which accounts for a sixth of the 3% emissiontargets, fell 10% within the baseline period,and averaged 5.9MtCO2e overall.

7. The waste sector (which comprises thewaste management and wastewaterhandling sectors only) accounts for 3% oftotal emissions in the 3% target. Emissionsfell 9% over the baseline period to 0.9MtCO2e, which was also the average overthe baseline period. Within this, high

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household recycling rates have continued, andat 53%, Wales has the highest recycling ratesacross the UK. Generally, improvements inrecycling and resource efficiency willinevitably lead to emissions reductionsthroughout the economy – for instance, in thebusiness and transport sectors.

8. Public sector also accounts for 3% of emissionsin the 3% targets, with total emissions in 2010down from the baseline average.

Wales also has a target to reduce emissions fromall sources by 40% from 1990 levels, implying areduction from 54.9 MtCO2e to 32.9 MtCO2e.

On this, the following progress was reported:

9. By 2010, Wales achieved a 15% reduction from1990 levels, although in 2010 emissionsincreased by 8% from the residential, businessand industrial processes sectors. This was dueto the exceptionally cold winter months in2010 and an increase in production outputfrom the previous year.

On adaptation, the following issues have beenreported:

10. While Welsh Government has producedguidance for developing adaptationplans, currently Sectoral Adaptation Plans(SAP) have yet to be produced for theinfrastructure, business and tourism, andcommunities sectors. For the naturalenvironment, Government has confirmedthat adaptation will be embedded withinits wider Natural Environment Frameworkand the forthcoming Environment Bill.

11. There is no clear source of advice forbusinesses on adaptation, as thoseprovided to the public sector and inparticular local authorities.

12. A fifth of floodplain development hasbeen in areas currently exposed to asignificant chance of flooding, and thearea of green space in towns and citieshas reduced, with potentially adverseimplications for surface water flood risk inthe coming decades.

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MtCO2e - Million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent: This measure can aggregate different green house gases intoa single measure, using global warming potentials. One unit of carbon is equivalent to 3.664 units of carbon dioxideClimate Change Strategy for Wales First Annual Progress Report-Technical Annex, March 2012:http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/climate-change-strategy-wales-first-annual-progress-report

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2.2 UK Committee on Climate Change'sRecommendations to Welsh Government

The UK Committee also made a number ofrecommendations, as requested by the WelshGovernment. These related to:

• Reviewing the methodology to measure theachievement of emission reduction targetsof 3% per year in areas of devolvedcompetence, measured against a baseline ofaverage emissions between 2006–2010, andthe indicator framework developed by theWelsh Government.

• Analysing Wales' preparedness in buildingresilience to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

• Proposals for possible legislative options forclimate change mitigation and adaptation.

The key recommendations proposed andendorsed by the Climate Change Commissionfor Wales, are as follows:

1. Government needs to strengthen policies toensure that Wales is on track to meet itsemission reduction targets through:• A stronger energy efficiency and

generation strategy to increase roll-outof energy efficiency measures (such asGreen Deal), receive its equal share offunding from supplier programmes,and allow Wales to increase its uptakeof incentives on renewable heating andincrease its renewable energygeneration capacity.

• Greater clarity on how one-third of the3% annual reduction targets will be metfrom 'wider contribution of others' asstated in the Government's ClimateChange Strategy.

• A review of its indicators framework, asset out in the Technical Annex ofGovernment's first annual progressreport, to:

Include the UK indicators and•corresponding Wales level indicatorsrelating to UK policies.Take account of forthcoming changes in•accounting framework of the EuropeanUnion Emission Trading Schemes(EUETS), which will incorporate some ofthe emissions currently within the 3%devolved targets.Address the sectoral gaps (i.e. in business•and agriculture, in particular) to allowbetter assessment of progress.Consider tracking temperature and/or•consider weather-related emissions datato account for variability in some areas,such as residential sector.Explore setting a trajectory related to the•level of anticipated uptake of abatementmeasures by 2020.

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2. On adaptation measures, the Committeerecommends for the Welsh Government to:• Complete the remaining Sectoral

Adaptation Plans (SAPs) for infrastructure,buildings and tourism, and communities,recognising that the adaptation plan forthe natural environment will beembedded within Government's widerNatural Environment Framework andforthcoming Environment Bill.

• Prepare advice to businesses onadaptation, complementing thoseprovided to local authorities.

• Ensure robust implementation ofplanning policy by local authoritiesrelating to development in the floodplainand in the design of urban areas.

• Consider how investment in flood defencekeeps pace with the increasing risk offlooding under a changing climate.

3. In its assessment of legislative options, theUK Committee concludes that:

• Statutory targets could provide a level ofcertainty over the long-term, i.e. beyond 2020,that could be helpful for businesses, investors,policy-makers as well as wider society. Both atUK level and in Scotland, there are examplesthat provide the statutory policies underpinningtheir emission reduction targets.

• There is an opportunity to explore further howa duty on public bodies could be incorporatedwithin the SD Bill and/or the forthcomingEnvironment Bill to include how public bodiescontribute to the Government's emissionreduction targets and adaptation objectives.

Such targets need to be based on evidence•and analysis of cost-effective levels ofemission reduction in Wales.If statutory targets are set, then an•accompanying duty on Welsh Ministers todevelop policies to meet the targets shouldbe set alongside them.

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2.3 Commission's Review of Progress on itsRecommendations to Government

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Climate Change Commission for Wales 'Second Annual Report' Annex: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/publicationsWelsh Government 'Business case for action on climate change’, October 2012:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/publications/caseforaction/?lang=enWelsh Government' '£6.5m Business Wales network of ‘one stop shops', January 2013:http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/businessandeconomy/2012/6876829

Since the launch of the Commission's firstannual report in January 2012, the Commissionhas been working closely with governmentofficials and through the organisationsrepresented on the Commission to help deliverthe Climate Change Strategy for Wales.

A detailed analysis of progress against therecommendations from the Commission's firstannual report is provided in the Annex.However, progress updates on some of theCommission's key recommendations areoutlined below:

1. There has been limited progress in defininghow the 3% annual reduction in emissioncan be achieved from the 'widercontribution of others'.

2. On consumption based emissions, there hasbeen no progress to report. However, as ofthe end of 2012, Government will beworking with its appointed contractor todevelop data on Wales' ecological footprint,which was last updated in 2006.

3. Efforts to engage communities and sectorson behaviour change have been limited andad-hoc. We still await a final publication ofthe segmentation and narratives work thatwill inform how people can be engagedmore effectively on issues around climatechange and sustainable development.

4. We echo the progress reported by the UKCommittee in that adaptation plans remainincomplete for a number of sectors.

5. We remain concerned on how theregional/spatial plans (e.g. city regions) willincorporate the earlier work on low-carbonregions developed as part of the WalesSpatial Plan.

6. Despite the initial show of support forCommunity Energy Wales, there has beenno financial support to ensure theorganisation can be firmly established tosupport community groups developingenergy generation and efficiency measures.

7. There has been some progress withengaging with, and providing advice to,small and medium-sized businessesthrough the Government's 'Business Case forAction on Climate Change,' published inlate 2012. In addition, the Business Wales’'one-stop business support service'incorporates provision of support on energyand resource efficiency.

The Commission endorses the recommendationsfrom the UK Committee and recommends thatGovernment consider these in its next progressreport. The Commission will also workalongside both the UK Committee and theWelsh Government to ensure that the barriersto progress and the recommendationshighlighted above are addressed.

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3. Priority Areas for Action

In March 2012, following the launch of theCommission's first annual report, the Ministerfor Environment and SustainableDevelopment, John Griffiths A.M., posed thefollowing questions:

• A key reflection following the Commission’srecent report is that it is critical that theCommission looks to identify and removeobstacles to delivering the climate changeagenda in Wales. Do we have the conditionsand working arrangements in place toenable this to happen?

• It is crucial that - working with the WelshGovernment and other delivery partners -the Commission focuses on catalysing thewider contributions from businesses andcommunities to help deliver our challengingtargets. What’s the focus for the next year toenable the Commission to achieve this?

In response, the Commission has highlightedseven priority areas, identifying key areas foraction:

1. Building resilience to manage the impact ofclimate change.

2. Reducing emissions from the built environment.

3. The transport challenge.4. Accelerating the transition to a low-carbon

economy.5. Leadership action in the Public Sector.6. Engaging civil society.7. Managing our land use.

The sections that follow provide an overview ofthe challenges posed within each of thepriority areas, and the key recommendations ofthe Commission.

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3.1 Building Resilience to Manage the Impact

Meeting the major challenges of adapting toclimate change requires a collective reassessmentof our material expectations, lifestyle prioritiesand capacity to change. Both government andsociety must do their bit. The Government canfund public works, such as a flood defences orwarning systems, but individuals andorganisations must make their own plans,reflecting their particular vulnerabilities.

There is a clear role, for the Commission, as across-party, cross-sector independentorganisation, to advise, build consensus andmobilise action.

The Commission's Adaptation Sub-Groupexamines scientific evidence relating to thepredicted changes to Wales’ climate andweather. The group informs the Commission ofits findings and identifies strategies andmeasures to strengthen the Welsh approach toadapting to climate change.

In support of the recommendations presentedby the UK Committee on Climate Change in its2013 report, which are to: (i) produce theoutstanding sectoral adaptation plans (SAPs),(ii) set out a clear source of advice forbusinesses on adaptation, (iii) ensure robustimplementation of planning policy, especiallyon development in floodplains, and (iv)maintain and, if possible, increase the flooddefence budget, the Commission recommendsthe following actions:

1. Further consideration should be given towhether Welsh Government should directpublic bodies, using powers under theClimate Change Act, to produceadaptation reports. The UK Government ispreparing a National Adaptation Plan inresponse to the findings of the first ClimateChange Risk Assessment (CCRA), publishedin January 2012. This does not, however,cover devolved issues in Wales. The WelshGovernment, therefore, must prepare anequivalent plan (or plans) to address therelevant climate risks in Wales. Options existfor embedding such plans within itsforthcoming Environment Bill. Equally, theWelsh Government may wish to revisit itspowers to direct public bodies to prepareadaptation reports under the UK ClimateChange Act 2008.

2. Support should be given to hostworkshops across Welsh Government tokick-start progress with SectoralAdaptation Plans (SAPs) and adaptationplanning and the working group should beinvolved in developing adaptationindicators. The Welsh Government muststep up its work on the SAPs if it is to meetits publication deadline of early 2013.Indeed, postponing the publication may beprudent in order to achieve a better productand wider buy-in. While the appropriateGovernment departments should direct andadopt these plans, they should still bedeveloped with the active engagement ofthe Commission to ensure that the fullrange of stakeholders is involved.

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32 Climate Ready: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/government/nap/

The Commission's Adaptation Sub-groupmembers are happy to work alongside climatechange officials to organise workshops andreinvigorate the planning process withrelevant Welsh Government departments. Thethematic guidance being developed byClimate Ready (the UK government’sinitiative to help businesses, communities andthe environment adapt to a changing climate)will help inform this work. The ScottishGovernment and the UK Committee onClimate Change are both working onadaptation indicators. Work in Wales shouldlink to those tools.

3. The Group intends to develop or supportinnovative communication methods toshare experience and learning on climatechange adaptation. These methods couldinclude developing images of adaptedlandscapes similar to the six 2030 visionsthat Defra commissioned for: City; Home;Infrastructure; Coastal; Countryside andFarm. The Commission’s Adaptation Sub-group will also make links with theEuropean Environment Agency andEuropean Nature Conservation AgencyClimate Change Sub-group, which arecollating adaptation case studies fromacross Europe.

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3.2 Reducing Emissions from Built Environment

Established in April 2009, the Wales Low ZeroCarbon Hub (WLZCH) was developed to providea dissemination mechanism to stakeholdersand a source of advice to the Commission. As asub-group of the Commission, it providesinformation and advice about activities andactions needed to achieve the aspiration ofzero-carbon new-build and the contributionthat will be made by buildings in delivering the3% annual target to cut greenhouse gasemissions. Carbon emissions directly attributedto buildings represent approximately 30% ofthe total. 80% of the projected 2050 buildingstock is already in existence. Therefore, toachieve 2050 targets, 62,500 properties peryear must be refurbished to high energy fabricperformance standards.

A formal position statement has been releasedalongside this Report, and provides a detailedaccount of the challenges and recommendationsto address emissions from buildings, both newand existing stock. The recommendationsoutlined are in support of those proposed bythe UK Committee in its latest report. TheCommission urges Welsh Government toconsider the following priority actions:

1. Clarity on the Green Deal: A clearstatement on the position of WelshGovernment on the Green Deal, and what itwill do to promote its uptake;

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33 Third Sector Sub-group's paper on 'Engaging civil society': www.theCCCW.org.uk

2. Development of the right AllowableSolutions for Wales: Providing cleardirection and a positive stance on theAllowable Solutions debate, ensuring thatsolutions that are relevant and viable forWales are included in any mechanism, andthat Welsh Government takes an immediateand active role rather than simply observingits development in England.

3. Awareness of the risks & opportunitiesfor solid wall insulation: Clear guidance,produced by the WLZCH, on the risks andopportunities, posed by solid wall insulationneeds to be endorsed by the Welsh Governmentfor all schemes and initiatives it funds.

4. Development of retrofit at scale: With80% of the 2050 building stock already inexistence, a reduction in energy used by thebuilt environment can only be delivered byaddressing the issues of the existingbuilding stock. Welsh Government mustlook wider than the measures andincentives that are currently in place.

5. Ensure consistency and progress throughthe establishment of appropriate targetsand indicators: The group is keen to meetwith the Welsh Government Climate ChangeTeam to develop the indicators further.

6. Low energy demand buildings: It is ofparamount importance that buildings aredesigned and constructed to require theminimum amount of energy to functioneffectively, while meeting the occupant’sneeds, engendering a long build-life and,therefore, spreading the constructionimpact energy use over a longer period.Achieving very low energy demand will notrequire buildings to generate energy.Energy generation is best undertaken atscale, with maintenance and operationalprocedures in place for efficientmanagement. As such, Welsh Governmentneeds to ensure that ‘Allowable Solutions’

for legally tying specific buildings to off-sitepower generation are developed andimplemented as an urgent priority.

7. Value in the built environment: Currentdevelopment methods do not adequatelyvalue the lifecycle impacts of buildings inany construction sector and this places lowenergy demand property (with itspotentially higher capital cost) at asignificant disadvantage. WelshGovernment must seek to rebalance thisvaluation within existing developmentframeworks. While the methods will vary fordifferent sectors, the measures will useexisting levers and mechanisms to drive thevalue of low energy building stock and, inturn, result in an increase in demand.

8. Buildings don’t use energy, people do:The Welsh Government needs to raise theawareness of energy use within buildingsthrough both regulated and unregulatedemissions, highlighting both the opportunitiesand benefits. Welsh Government shouldprovide a detailed update on the workundertaken on behaviour change for energyefficiency, with a clear strategy and timelinefor future delivery.

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3.3 The Transport Challenge

34 Climate Change Commission for Wales, Position Paper on Transport: http://www.cynnalcymru.com/library/position-paper-transport-climate-change

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Climate change is a key issue for the transportsector, both because the sector is a majoremitter of greenhouse gases and because it ispotentially vulnerable to the impacts of climatechange. The transport sector in Wales accountsfor 20% of devolved emissions and, althoughsome progress has been made towards de-carbonising the transport sector and adaptingit to cope with climate change in Wales; thesector was highlighted in the Commission’s firstannual report as a key area for improvement.

There are excellent examples, across sectors,within Wales, of addressing behaviour change,improving access to services, and piloting newsocial enterprise models. The multi-millionpound investment in Next GenerationBroadband across Wales will be transformationalin reducing the need for travel, allowing ‘smart’travel solutions, tailored to demand, andincreasing provision of services in the home.There is significant potential for developingnew social enterprise business models basedon car clubs, which can be built on suchimproved communication networks.

There are also specific challenges facing ourrural communities, where transport poverty isa real issue. In this regard, community transportsolutions provide much more than an improvedaccess to vital public services. They also representa key investment that addresses issues ofloneliness and mental health, potentiallyreducing costs to the health and social servicebudgets and increasing wellbeing.

With the aim of raising the level of debatearound transport and climate change, theCommission established a task group, whichset out principles and priority actions in aposition paper. This was sent to the Ministerfor Local Government and Communities in July2012. The Commission Paper highlights manyexamples of excellent practice that exist acrossWales. It welcomes the proposals in the ActiveTravel Bill but recognises that more ambitiousand wide-ranging improvements to transportsystems have taken place in other Europeancountries. The report sets out a number ofpriority actions including:

1. Reduce travel demand by exploiting ICTand next generation broadband: There isa strong business case for consideringalternatives to travel (i.e. by reducing costsfor individuals and businesses). There arealso economic opportunities associatedwith developing the ICT sector and future-proofing infrastructure. Alternatives to travelshould be given much greater attentionwithin transport and spatial planning asshould behaviour change programmes;

2. Advance integrated spatial and regionalapproaches as a vital long-term actionsthrough city region developments andbetter integrated planning;

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3. Ensure consistency and progress throughsustainable transport visions, targets andindicators: Translating the sustainabletransport hierarchy into practice can beachieved through appropriate indicatorsand targets. As well as indicators forbus/rail/cycle use, additional indicatorscould include:• total passenger kilometres

(to assess demand).• uptake of efficient and alternative

fuel vehicles.• use of ICT alternatives.• car-sharing uptake.• fuel spend: indicators for eco-driving or

alternative fuel infrastructure and/oruse of alternatives to travel, which canbe measured through regular WelshGovernment public surveys i.e. self-reported eco-driving behaviours, andby the number of electric chargingpoints or hydrogen filling stations.

4. Show leadership and reward bestpractice highlighting the importance ofbehaviour change at organisation level.Here, public sector employers, SustainableDevelopment Charter signatories andAnchor Companies are well-placed to showleadership in sustainable transport,exemplifying action as employers throughtravel planning, flexible working, low-carbon and electric fleet vehicles,teleconferencing etc.

5. Invest in green technologies to driveinnovation in Wales: There are significanteconomic opportunities associated withresearch, development and innovation forlow-carbon transport. Little progress hasbeen made in promoting new transporttechnologies. New markets need to bestimulated for both vehicle technologies,such as electric vehicles, and modes oftransport, such as car clubs.

6. Promote learning, evaluation andstakeholder engagement to captureenthusiasm among diverse stakeholdergroups for driving forward the sustainabletransport agenda. Welsh Government couldmake better use of this expertise, and thewillingness of stakeholders to help deliverchange within Wales, through more regularand meaningful stakeholder engagement.

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3.4 Accelerating the Transition to a Low-carbonEconomy

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3637

Our Sustainable Future, a Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland:http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/ConsultationFrameworkforSustainableDevelopmentforIreland/New Zealand’s Pure Advantage Campaign: http://www.pureadvantage.org/ CBI’s Colour of Growth Report: http://www.cbi.org.uk/campaigns/maximising-the-potential-of-green-business/

Over the last year, the Commission has focusedon the development of the low-carboneconomy, holding meetings with companies inNorth and South Wales, and receivingpresentations from the Welsh Government’sChief Scientific Officer, John Harries; Chair ofthe Aldersgate Group (an influential greeneconomy pressure group), Peter Young; andglobal professional services firm, PWC, on thestrategy for green growth.

The Commission is clear that the transition to alow-carbon economy can deliver both climatechange and job targets. There is plenty ofevidence that, even in these tough economicclimes, we see continued 4.7% annual growthin the low carbon environmental goods andservices sector which is the driving force for alow-carbon economy. However thistransformation is not about a discrete sector,but is about all sectors – manufacturing,agriculture, tourism etc. – producing goodsand services in a sustainable way that respondsto diminishing natural resources, increasingmaterial prices, consumer preferences and theglobal effort to reduce emissions.

We are conscious that the overriding priority ofthe Europe 2020 Strategy is to achieve smart,sustainable and inclusive growth, or ‘greengrowth’, as being central to a resource efficientfuture for Europe. We are also conscious thatthis is a competitive agenda with countries likeIreland, where the Taoiseach is chairing theircabinet committee on the green economyand further afield like New Zealand where the

business sector have combined to lead a ‘PureAdvantage’ campaign to promote theopportunities for investment and marketingthe national brand.

The Commission welcomed the CBI’s report,the Colour of Growth, which set out clearrecommendations to the UK Governmenttowards further acceleration of the greeneconomy, stressing that growth andemployment in the future will be led bycapturing economic activity across all sectorsand value chains that contribute to reducingenvironmental impacts or adapting toenvironmental changes. In order to acceleratethis transition in Wales, the Commissionproposes to:

1. Review the progress of the WelshGovernment’s energy programme whichwas launched in March 2012, in the contextof the UK Committee’s comment that“renewable energy development is fallingbehind the rest of the UK”;

2. Work with partners to develop a road mapfor green growth for presentation to theCouncil for Economic Renewal in June 2013;

3. Ensure that the European Fundingprogrammes are focused on ensuring a justtransition to a low-carbon economy;

4. Promote the Climate Group’s CleanRevolution campaign as a means ofcommunicating the change taking place inWales and in economies around the World.

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3.5 Leadership Action in the Public Sector

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Welsh Government’s State of the Estate Report:http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/drnewhomepage/dr2012/octdec/gov/jh3041/?lang=en 'Reducing Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions' http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/central/2011/nr_111208_greenhouse_gases.pdf UK Committee's report on 'How local authorities can reduce emissions and manage climate risk', May 2012:http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/local-authorities

Direct emissions from the public sector onlyform 3% of the 3% devolved target but thesector has a key leadership role in terms ofexemplifying action in estate management,engaging employees, communicating withcommunities and how it spends public funds.

Welsh Government’s ‘State of the Estate’ reportprovides an example of good practice,demonstrating how emissions were reducedby 11% in 2010, through rationalising the useof buildings, reducing journeys, and makingsavings in IT infrastructure. There are alsostrong examples of leadership in LocalAuthorities, the health service, the educationsector and through some local service boards.However, there is no consistent application ofbest practice. In order to address this, theCommission has:

1. Written to the Auditor General to invite theWales Audit Office to undertake a reviewto ensure public bodies are making theappropriate response to the challenge ofclimate change, similar to the report ofAudit Scotland on the ScottishGovernment's climate change strategy.

2. Noted the UKCCC report 'How LocalAuthorities can reduce emissions and manageclimate risk' which reviewed practice in

local authorities in England and proposesmany recommendations that are alsoapplicable to authorities in Wales. TheCommission will be working with the WelshLocal Government Association (WLGA) tobenchmark practice of Welsh LocalAuthorities against these recommendations.

3. Asked to see greater focus on carbonemissions within the procurementprocesses across the public sector promotedthrough Value Wales.

4. Requested the Welsh Government toensure that they retain a strong centralteam to ensure a focus on the ClimateChange strategy across Government andthe public sector.

5. Welcomed Estyn’s review of Education forSustainable Development and GlobalCitizenship as requested by the EducationMinister and propose that it includes aspecific focus on climate change.

6. Recommended that tackling climate changeis clearly identified as being central to theduties on the public sector within theproposed Sustainable Development Bill,including the responsibilities of the proposednew Sustainable Development body.

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3.6 Engaging Civil Society

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The third sector has a crucial role to play intackling climate change and there is hugepotential for it to make a significant impact inthis area given its size, scope and reach. TheCommission is keen to encourage the thirdsector to tackle climate change and ensurethat Welsh Government is delivering itscommitments to engage and enable this.

Recently, the Commission and WCVA consultedwith the third sector, including a round tablediscussion with key stakeholders from acrossthe sector. This identified that, to reach itspotential, especially in a time of competingpriorities and financial instability, the thirdsector needs to continue to be enabled andsupported to take action in a meaningful way.It is unlikely to treat climate change as apriority without intervention.

The current support available in Wales for thethird sector is viewed as a patchwork of differentservices and programmes rather than an easilyaccessible, meaningful and coherent progressivepathway for climate change action. This includessupport for local, place-based groups, communityenergy projects and non-environmentalorganisations, all of which have specific needs.

The Climate Change Engagement Strategy iscited in Welsh Government’s Annual ProgressReport as its programme to encourage widersectoral change. Delays in the Action Plan, suchas the narrative project, the segmentationmodel and the Sustainable Futures website,have made it difficult to assess its relevance tothe third sector. There is however consensusthat engagement and support needed by thethird sector is not fully met by this strategy. The Commission recognises that in the currentfinancial climate, resourcing for additionalprogrammes and support is limited. The WelshGovernment’s existing strategies andprogrammes should therefore be reviewed,

including their delivery of measurable impact,value for money, and the provision of supportto the identified need of the third sector.

Progressive work within the third sector, such asthe WCVA supporting the Third SectorPartnership Council (TSPC) to integrate climatechange into their funding and networks, willprovide an opportunity for learning andcollaboration to be developed for the non-environmental sector. The findings of thePathfinder research and the Renew Walesproject will offer learning on how to supportlocal communities and the role of behaviourchange in community engagement. Goodpractice examples across the third sector shouldbe recognised and built on such as EnvironmentWales which offers a successful model ofsupport and encouragement of voluntaryaction to protect and improve the environment.Size of Wales, an environmental charity hasengaged and united communities, businesses,organisations and schools to help protect 2million hectares of rainforest and forge lastinglinks with some of the world’s poorest people.To date, they have raised £1,812,165 and helpedprotect 1,812,165 hectares of rainforest.

The recommendations to Welsh Governmentare based on the roundtable discussion held inDecember 2012 :

1. Welsh Government should develop a mapof the support available for action onclimate change for the third sector, whichincludes its procured programmes andfunded statutory providers;

2. Welsh Government should undertake areview of the Climate Change EngagementStrategy, utilising the findings of the RoundTable Discussion, the Pathfinders research,the TSPC work stream and the CommunityEnergy Network and present its findings tothe Commission.

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41 Climate Change Engagement Strategy:wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/climatechange/publications/engagementstrategy/?lang=en

3.7 Managing our Land Use

The agriculture and land use sector accountsfor 18% of the 3% devolved target. Wales hasdevolved control over most of the policy areasthat form part of the land use agenda, as wellas the opportunity to utilise external supportin the form of European Structural Funds bothfor farm payments, and the development ofthe rural economy.

The Land Use Sub-group was formallyestablished by the Commission in February2012, providing an advisory and monitoringrole on issues covering agriculture, land usechange, forestry, and the food chain. Thisagenda takes forward the work of the Land Useand Climate Change Group, which operatedunder the previous administration, andpresented Welsh Government with 49recommendations in its “Land Use and ClimateChange Report (March 2010).

Welsh Government has consulted with thegroup on a draft implementation plan thatmaps actions currently being undertakenthroughout land based industry in Wales. Itcondenses into 6 themes the original 44recommendations of the Land Use and ClimateChange group that were accepted by WelshGovernment. The group has also beenconsulted on the plans for the next RuralDevelopment programme, making strongrepresentation to ensure that all parts of thenew programme are subject to climate changeproofing and recommending key prioritieswhich should be supported across the EUfunding mechanisms.

In its recommendations to the Commission,the Land Use Group has identified thefollowing priority actions – full details onwhich are available from this link:

1. Enhanced production efficiencies –seen aspotential “win–win” actions for farmers;

2. Enhanced uptake of Anaerobic digestion toreduce emissions from livestock manuresand slurries;

3. On Woodland issues, to assist ForestryCommission Wales (soon to be part ofNatural Resources Wales) and otheragencies in: (i) achieving woodlandexpansion to approximately 400,000hectares; (ii) improving both managementand modelling of existing woodland toachieve/record maximum net carbon sinkactivity to 2050; (iii) assessing thesustainable yield of fuel wood (and its spaceheating potential, in kWh) and commercialtimber products from both current andexpanded woodlands.

4. Minimise the constraints on realising therenewable energy potential of farms andrural communities;

5. Assess and reduce the greenhouse gasemissions from Wales’ own food chain, i.e.food consumed by the people of Wales andembedded in our food exports;

6. Keep fully informed of recent scientificadvances and data in the areas ofresponsibility and assess the quality andaccuracy of Wales’ submissions to theGreenhouse Gas inventory;

7. Promote awareness of anthropogenic globalwarming and work with farmers in relationto mitigation, adaption and resilience giventhe particular geographic position of Wales.

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4. The Climate Change Commission forWales

The Commission’s work facilitates the WelshGovernment’s efforts to tackle climate changeby providing advice, as well as scrutinising andreporting on progress. We also seek to mobiliseaction and build consensus across sectors. Ourmain roles are to:

• Provide clear leadership on tackling both thecauses and effects of climate change in Wales;

• Build agreement on the action needed inWales to address climate change, andengage all sectors in this process;

• Work to remove barriers to delivering theclimate change agenda and advise onsolutions where appropriate;

• Advise on the development of WelshGovernment's policies and programmes;

• Monitor progress and report annually ondelivery of the Climate Change Strategy for Wales;

• Be proactive in sharing advice and goodpractice on climate change action.

This is reflected in the membership of theCommission and in its operational activities,which are supported by a number of definedsub-groups working on the priority themes.

4.1 Role of the Commission

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Adaptation: Chaired by Michael Evans of theEnvironment Agency Wales, this group hasbeen monitoring progress with the WelshGovernment's Sectoral Adaptation plans (SAPs)

Land Use: Chaired by Professor Gareth WynJones, this group provides an advisory andmonitoring role on issues covering agriculture,land use, land use change, forestry, and thefood chain.

Third Sector Leadership Group was set upunder the aegis of Wales Council for VoluntaryAction (WCVA); its work is now incorporatedwithin the WCVA and administered under theThird Sector Partnership Council. Details can befound at http://www.wcva.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-influence/climate-change

Wales Low Zero Carbon Hub is managed byConstructing Excellence Wales. Its remit is totake forward the work of reducing carbonemissions from the built environment and helpmeet Welsh Government targets. Full details ofits activities can be found via its web site:www.cewales.org.uk/zero-low-carbon-hub/

The report of the Transport Task and FinishGroup, led by Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh, wasaccepted by the Commission and presented toGovernment in July. Progress will be reviewedby the Commission over the next year.

The functions of the sub-groups relate to theCommission's seven priorities for action. It isproposed to establish new groups to focus onpublic sector leadership and accelerating thetransition to a low-carbon economy. Fulldetails on the sub-groups, including terms ofreference and composition, are available hereClimate Change Commission's sub-group:www.theCCCW.org.uk

Although the work of the Commission isfocused on Wales, we collaborate with similarbodies and organisations in a UK, Europeanand global context. Climate change is a globalproblem that requires collective global action.We believe Wales can play a significant role inbeing part of the solution and the Commissioncommends the Welsh Government’s continuedcommitment to the Wales for Africaprogramme, its membership of the ClimateGroup and the Network of RegionalGovernment for Sustainable Development.

4.2 Sub-groups of the Commission

4.3 Engaging with the Work of the Commission

Engaging a diverse range of audiences acrossall sectors of society in meaningful, two-waycommunication is vital to the success of theClimate Change Commission for Wales. TheCommission comprises representatives fromorganisations that have in-depth understandingof specific sectors of society or expertise in aparticular climate change issue. Eachrepresentative is responsible for engaging withtheir sector to understand, and convey to theCommission, the barriers to action anddeveloping strategies to increase action.

The strategy for engagement is to workthrough member networks, using theknowledge of umbrella organisations toengage their own members, disseminatinginformation and knowledge.

Commission meetings are open to members ofthe public and minutes of meetings madeavailable on the Commission web pages. Bothindividuals and organisations are encouragedto engage with the Commission’s priorities.This input helps develop the evidence baseand supports the communication of ourmessages and activities.

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4.4 Role of the Secretariat

4.5 Meetings of the Commission

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43 ‘A world you like. With a climate you like.' The EuropeanCommission campaign to promote climate action anda low-carbon economy run by the EuropeanCommission's Directorate-General for Climate Action: http://world-you-like.europa.eu/en/

Details of the venue, timings and papers willbe available from the following web link:

www.theCCCW.org.uk

The Commission meets quarterly. Themeetings are open to members of the generalpublic and regularly include presentationsfrom climate scientists and expert guestspeakers. The dates for meetings of theCommission in 2013 are as follows:

• 14 March 2013: Treforest• 6 June 2013: Wrexham• 19-20 September 2013: Swansea• 5 December 2013: Cardiff

The Commission is supported with secretariatassistance from Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales,including support for its engagement andcommunications activities. Regular briefingsand updates on the Commission’s work areprovided and support is given on stakeholderengagement. Dedicated web pages have beencreated, with improved navigation andaccessibility and a distinctive bilingual visualidentity, which regularly feature the latestarticles, reports and views. The Commissionalso has an active social media profile,including engagement tools (Twitter@theCCCW) and document sharing tools(Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/theCCCW),which allow interactive relationships to bedeveloped with existing and new audiences.

In the print media there is regular coverage,with Commission related content beingfeatured in the Western Mail and the Go Greenenvironmental supplements, along with anumber of other specialist publicationstogether with regular features and blogs fromthe Chair of the Commission.

Over the next two years, we will furtherdevelop our communication tools andengagement processes in order to ensure theCommission's work is widely accessible andunderstood, increases awareness of climatechange, and changes attitudes and behavioursaccordingly. We are continually seekingexamples of good practice from across allsectors to help us better communicate climatechange mitigation and adaptation, and haverecently participated in the Europe-wide Worldyou Like campaign, identifying examples toinspire action in and from Wales. We will alsowork in collaboration with the WelshGovernment in the planning and delivery of itsclimate change public relations campaign(starting February 2013). Details about how tocontact the Commission and engage in itswork are provided at the end of the document.

Twitter @theCCCW

Slideshare www.slideshare.net/theCCCW

www.theCCCW.org.uk

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The next two years will see significant changesin the policy framework affecting climatechange issues, with the establishment ofNatural Resources Wales and the introductionof the Sustainable Development Bill, theEnvironment and Planning Bills. It will also seethe establishment of the new framework forthe delivery of EU funds from 2014-2020 whichrepresent an opportunity to accelerate thetransition to a low-carbon economy.

The Commission will work to ensure thattackling climate change remains central toGovernment’s priorities. We will seek to engageleaders across all sectors and political parties toensure that we maximize the opportunitiesand deliver on the priority areas set out in thisReport. The Commission will:

1. Focus on our 7 priority areas for action.2. Seek to ensure the recommendations from

the Commission and UK Committee areaddressed by the Welsh Government .

3. Work with the UK Committee to ensure UKGovernment policies reflect the needs of Wales.

4. Raise the profile of climate change issues inWales, its impacts across the sectors, andensure understanding of climate changerisks is increased along with an awareness ofaction needed to build resilience to adapt tothe change.

5. Monitor and report on progress against thetargets in Welsh Government’s climatechange strategy.

4.6 Forward Work Programme

Secretariat for the Commission is provided byCynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales. The team andcommission members can be contacted via:

Telephone 029 2019 20 21Email [email protected] @theCCCW

You can find out more about the work of theClimate Change Commission for Wales andkeep up to date with the latest research andbriefings by visiting its web pages at:

www.theCCCW.org.uk

4.7 Contacting the Commission

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The Commission brings together representativesof key sectors and organisations across Wales,to build agreement on the action needed totackle climate change in Wales. Chaired byPeter Davies, Commissioner for SustainableFutures, members of the Commissionrepresent a wide range of political, business,academic, local, regional and nationalgovernment bodies and agencies, and thirdsector organisations.

• The Carbon Trust: Mike Batt.• Centre for Alternative Technology: Paul

Allen.• Confederation of British Industry: David

Proctor.• Countryside Council for Wales/Climate

Change Consortium for Wales: Dr CliveWalmsley.

• Countryside Council for Wales: Morgan Parry.• Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales: David

Fitzpatrick.• Energy Saving Trust: Duncan McCombie.• Environment Agency (Climate Ready): Chris

West.• Environment Agency Wales: Chris Mills.• Federation of Small Businesses: Iestyn

Davies.• Funky Dragon: Andy O'Callaghan and

Hannah Prydderch.• Higher Education (HE) sector: Professor

Hywel Thomas.• Land Use Sub-group: Professor Gareth Wyn

Jones.• Plaid Cymru: Janet Davies.• Transport Sub-group/ C3W: Dr Lorraine

Whitmarsh.• TUC: Julie Cook.• Velindre NHS Trust: Simon Dean.• Wales Environment Link: Peter Jones.• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA):

Graham Benfield.• Wales Low Zero Carbon Hub: Milica Kitson.• WLGA: Cllr Neil Rogers.• Welsh Conservatives: Russell George AM.• Welsh Liberal Democrats: Peter Randerson.

Specialist Advisors

• The Met Office: Dr. Vicky Pope.• The Tyndall Centre: Professor Kevin

Anderson.• UK Committee on Climate Change: Laura

McNaught.

4.8 Membership of the Commission

Page 31: The Second Annual Report · 2013-02-19 · UK Committee on Climate Change (UKCCC) second report to Welsh Government on progress in Wales on reducing emissions and preparing for climate

The Second Annual Reportof the Climate Change Commission for Wales