Proposed Welsh bill aims to protect nature 

The Welsh government has introduced a new Environmental Governance Bill, aimed at tightening oversight and improving accountability on environmental issues in Wales.

The legislation proposes the creation of an independent Office of Environmental Governance Wales, intended to ensure government bodies adhere to environmental responsibilities. The move follows growing concern over the state of Wales’s natural habitats and species.

If passed, the bill would require public bodies to meet environmental standards and allow complaints to be investigated and enforced where appropriate.

The bill is being presented to the Senedd as a response to the governance gap left following the UK’s departure from the EU, which previously enforced environmental protections. If it goes through, public bodies in Wales will also be forced to publish nature recovery action plans.

A similar Office for Environmental Protection launched in England and Northern Ireland in 2021, while the Scottish government set up the Environmental Standards Scotland in the same year.

Welsh angler and ST contributor Gethin Jones commented:

“Wales lags years behind the rest of the UK when it comes to laws covering environmental protection and dealing with the shocking loss of Welsh biodiversity so, on the face of it, this new bill addresses that gaping hole.

“Whether this proposed law, as well as the establishment of the Office for Environmental Governance Wales, will be effective in tackling serious issues such as river pollution, as well as urgently addressing the decline of a range of species, from salmon and sewin [sea trout] to curlew and black grouse, all of which are rapidly heading toward extinction in Wales despite the best efforts of the Welsh fieldsports community, very much remains to be seen.”

The latest stocktake of Welsh wildlife in 2023 revealed that one in six species were at risk of disappearing. However, specific targets on saving and restoring particular species and habitats will only be decided after the bill becomes law.

Welsh Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs Huw Irranca-Davies described the bill as:

“Crucial legislation that will empower us to address climate and nature emergencies, safeguard our environment from harm and ensure a sustainable future for Wales.”