Welsh climate campaigners set out demands for 2025

Martin Shipton

A consortium of Welsh climate activists has set out a series of measures it would like to see pursued in 2025.

Climate Cymru is an active network of 370 partner organisations from every sector of Welsh society, and a movement of over 15,000 individuals from across Wales who say they share a desire for urgent, fair action to address the climate and nature emergencies.

The network’s campaign coordinator David Kilner said: “We’d like to see the Welsh Government join the global Fossil Free Treaty - a concrete, binding plan to end the expansion of new coal, oil and gas projects and manage a global transition away from fossil fuels.

“We’d like to see the Nature Positive Bill - a proposed piece of legislation in Wales that would establish environmental principles, a permanent environmental governance body, and legally binding biodiversity targets - take significant strides to becoming law because nature and our climate can’t wait. Every year, month and week of inaction and harm takes significantly longer to recover from.

“We’d like to see the Welsh Government include a clear ban on new coaling through the legislative process which we have implored the new Climate Change Minister to adopt - this could be included in the Infrastructure Bill or the Coal Tip Safety Bill. With the threat of coaling occurring in Bedwas/Sirhowy under the guise of coal tip restoration, a gateway of coaling is ahead of us on the 300+ legacy tips, without a clear ban.

“We’d like to see something similar to the Danish Renewable Act that enshrines community ownership and community benefit into the development of renewables. Communities must tangibly benefit, making a fairer more just transition.

“We’d also like to see Welsh public sector pension funds rapidly phase out their investments in fossil fuels and war. We are proudly a nation of peace.

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Public pensions

Some £227m public pension money remains invested in fossil fuels. And £161m of public pension funds are invested in weapons manufacturers from Thale to Elbit and BAE. For a clarity on the legislative angle:

A Renewable Energy (Wales) Bill should be brought forward in the next Senedd to legislate to enable greater community ownership and meaningful benefit from renewable energy.”

Mr Kilner said: “A rapid scale-up of renewable energy is a critical component of Wales’ journey to net zero. Renewable energy needs to replace not only the electricity currently generated from fossil fuels but also much of the energy needed for a transition of buildings, transport and industry. To complement a considerable scale-up of renewable production we also need to invest in energy storage, grid upgrades and other grid infrastructure. It is entirely possible for Wales to be 100% renewable with current technology.

“A great transition is underway: The new UK Government has a commitment to a net zero grid by 2030 which means enormous changes and the energy transition will largely be over in five years time. If communities are to benefit, urgent action is needed. The Welsh Government has a commitment that, from 2020, all new renewable energy projects will have a portion of community ownership.
“Policy experts and practitioners have given deep consideration to how we meet our decarbonisation commitments, including policy, fairness and funding. The Institute of Welsh Affairs has spent nearly three years working on this and has published two valuable and insightful reports - Re-Energising Wales and Sharing Power & Spreading Wealth.

“The current planned national infrastructure projects will cause upheaval and changes to our historic landscapes. However, communities can and should see significant benefits - with community benefit defined and legislated for and a prerequisite of planning permission. A renewably powered Wales should go hand in hand with reduced energy need - for example by retrofitting homes - and reduced energy cost (if costs are decoupled from gas pricing).

“Our renewable future will need a mix of renewable energy generation and storage, both in type and scale, local renewable energy systems directly cutting bills and demand on the main grid alongside medium and large scale onshore and offshore wind, solar and tidal to meet industrial and grid demands. Wales is a net exporter of energy, but 73% is fossil fuel-based, with a 40% rise in gas electricity generation between 2020 and 2023. This is the wrong direction.

“Applying the right policies and communicating its need effectively now could ensure communities benefit from new energy infrastructure, maximise ‘community benefit’ from large renewable installations or alternatively see sustained opposition.

“Housing makes up 29% of Welsh residents’ carbon footprint in heating space and water, predominantly by fossil fuel use. Shifting the source of electricity generation is highlighted as the best method for reducing emissions.

“Additionally, shifting the source of electricity generation would enable the wider industrial transition needed: the latest Energy Use Wales Report states that industry has consistently accounted for the highest energy use in Wales, representing 37% of all consumption in 2019.”

Energy generation

Climate Cymru has described in more detail how it would like a Renewable Energy (Wales) Bill or Community Energy Benefit Bill to work: “Crucially the legislation should ensure local communities have a meaningful stake in energy generation.

“All new commercial energy projects to have at least some local ownership: Urgently close loopholes to mandate alignment with the Welsh Government’s long-standing target for all new energy projects to have a portion of community ownership from 2020 - which has been largely ignored.

“Ensure 15% community ownership on commercial projects by 2028, by compelling all new commercial renewable projects above 5MW to have a minimum level of 15% of community and local ownership by 2028.

“Develop and mandate a range of community ownership models that when implemented allow prioritised delivery: The Welsh Government should work with communities and developers to explore and offer a range of community ownership models, reducing upfront financial barriers that may currently limit economically disadvantaged communities from community ownership.

“Reform community benefit funding (CBF). The Welsh Government should outline clear policy and good practice guidance for the provision of CBF from renewable energy projects to support both developers and communities in achieving a greater positive impact. Increasing the minimum contribution per MW into community benefit funds to ensure a greater portion of shared wealth in a community.

“Establish best practices through Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, ensuring a minimum of 30% of community ownership on their future developments to maximise retaining income and increased economic impact for communities. As the Welsh Government formalises the role of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, it should explore the possibility of community ownership where possible. Where projects may be a private/public partnership, jointly developed with a commercial developer, the Welsh Government must ensure the developer provides best practice CBFs.

“Re-investment for future generations. The Welsh Government should establish a Wales Wealth Fund, reinvesting income from renewable energy projects for the long-term benefit of future generations. The fund would capture ‘sovereign wealth fund payments’ of at least 15% of net revenues made from future large-scale renewable projects with an installed capacity of over 50 MW in Wales, alongside a CBF for the local community.

“The Crown Estate should be devolved to Wales to bring it in line with Scotland and let Wales benefit from the Crown Estate fees from renewables

“The UK Energy Bill passed in 2023 by the UK Parliament included an England-only two-year, £10m fund - Wales and Scotland need their fair share.

“Bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to create a legal right to access local energy. Set targets for publicly procured energy to come from local or community sources, increasing over time. Introduce a new, additional ‘rent on natural resources’ for all energy and energy infrastructure developments with the funds raised contributing to a new community wealth fund.

“Deliver on manifesto commitments for renewable energy and ensure it is done fairly so it maximises benefits to communities.”