Wales, the journey to Net Zero
Think tank: Institute of Welsh Affairs
Author(s): Joe Rossiter
February 14, 2024
This report from UK think tank the Institute of Welsh Affairs sets out a vision for accelerated infrastructure investment in Wales.
Despite ambitious targets and a swathe of measures to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, Welsh Government is currently failing to meet the pace and scale of change required by the challenge of the climate emergency.
The nation is not on track to abide by its own carbon budget, with the UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) warning that current progress does not stand Wales in good stead in a radically transforming climate. On top of this, climate and net zero policy remains one in which policy levers and investment fall on the so-called jagged edge of Wales’ wider constitutional settlement with the UK, with decision making falling across both sides of the Severn bridge against the backdrop of difficult intergovernmental relations. Infrastructure will be at the core of shaping the Wales of tomorrow.
Following on from our flagship projects Re-energising Wales and Renewing the Focus, we recommend targeted action to drive investment that will enable delivery. In this report written by Joe Rossiter, we argue for an approach to infrastructure policy in Wales that will enable us to meet our targets and adapt to the realities of climate change.
