Will the Minister explain what funding is being made available to assist local authorities in purchasing electric recycling vehicles?
Over the past two years the Welsh Government has provided over £8m of capital funding to support the purchase of 46 battery powered Ultra Low Emission waste and recycling collection vehicles. This includes funding to Conwy County Council who have recently taken delivery of the first battery powered recycling vehicle in the UK.
Up to £6m is being provided this financial year as part of the work to decarbonise the collection fleet by 2030. Over half of Welsh Local Authorities have utilised the funding to begin the process of replacing their fossil fuel-powered collection fleet with Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. This will not only directly help to tackle the climate emergency by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but will also contribute to important improvements in areas such as air quality.