Will the Minister confirm whether the Welsh Government plans to introduce legally binding targets for nature recovery in Wales?
I am committed to introducing legally binding targets for nature recovery in Wales. This includes the 30 by 30 target: to designate 30% of land and sea by 2030. Over the summer I held a Biodiversity Deep Dive focusing on 30 by 30 to identify the actions that were needed to meet this target and nature recovery more broadly. The written statement and recommendations are published here: Written Statement: Biodiversity Deep Dive (3 October 2022) | GOV.WALES
We will also need to implement the post-2020 framework and global biodiversity targets once agreed at COP15 in December. We will consider the role statutory domestic targets could play in helping us deliver these aims. The timeline for statutory domestic targets will be dependent on the identification of an appropriate legislative vehicle and bill slot.
Work is also underway with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to develop a suite of indicators to ensure we are making progress towards internationally agreed objectives and targets. We are taking account of the approach set out in the Environment (Wales) Act and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, the wellbeing goals and suite of indicators.
This work will be carried out as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.’