Labour’s goal is to transform Wales into a clean, green and sustainable country. Since 1999 we have invested in improving local environments and opening up Wales’ stunning natural environment to all.

We have been a global voice in combating climate change, helping to put Wales at the cutting edge of the drive to a more sustainable future.

Cherishing Wales’ environment

• Published an Environment Strategy and an Environment Action Plan to set out Labour’s long term goals for improving the environment and tackling climate change.
• Opened up access to the Wales’ countryside through the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. 22 per cent of Wales’ land is now available for walking – more than three times the amount when we came to office.
• Plans were announced in June 2006 to move ahead with a coastal access improvement programme - with extra investment to improve existing coastal paths and new routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
• Designated 90 sites which have habitats or species that are rare or threatened across Wales, as special areas of conservation.
• Launched a ten-year plan to conserve wildlife living along the Welsh road network. This sets out 250 actions to safeguard rare and attractive habitats and species alongside some of Wales’ busiest roads.
• Announced proposals to strengthen the National Park Authorities so that they continue to protect some of Wales’ most stunning landscapes.
• Pledged £3m to support the new Snowdon Summit Building.
• Increased the amount of the Welsh forest estate that is being re-generated with the planting of native, broadleaved tress.
• Meeting our target of delivering 770,000 cubic metres of home-grown timber to the market. More and more of this material is coming from thinning, helping forests to prosper.
• Established the Design Commission for Wales. This is a national organisation that champions better buildings and better public places and spaces.
• Tough new guidance to boost town centres as the best location for most retail and leisure activities. With Labour, town centres are receiving the investment and protection they need.

Tackling climate change

• Greenhouse gas emissions in Wales, in particular emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture and waste, have fallen by 3% since 1990 (the Kyoto benchmark year) as a result of agricultural restructuring and controls, and increased management of the waste sector.
• The Assembly Government has committed to a renewables target of 4 Terra Watt Hours of electricity per annum by 2010, and 7 TWhr of electricity per annum from wind , biomass, wave/tidal stream and solar sources by 2020.
• The Labour Government’s last energy policy pledged to deliver a 20% reduction in carbon emissions (on a 2000 baseline) by 2020. This target was based on 20% of electricity generation coming from renewables, combined with a 20% reduction in energy demand through energy efficiency measures and no increase in fossil fuel generation
• Plans in place to maximise the use of the planning system in securing more sustainable buildings. The Labour Assembly Government has introduced tough new rules, which mean local authorities have to cut carbon emissions in local developments by at least 10% below current Building Regulation standards.
• Consideration is being given to introducing a statutory requirement for planning applications to be accompanied by a design statement to encourage sustainable developments.
• Labour is taking action to encourage micro-generation equipment (such as solar panels and wind turbines) on residential properties.
• Support for the work of the Carbon Trust in Wales, resulting in annual savings of 160,000 tonnes of CO2 being identified.
• £93m extra funding from Labour in the Assembly to boost recycling across Wales. We are on course to meet the target of recycling or composting 25% of all waste by 2007 and of 40% by 2015. Local Authorities achieved a combined recycling and composting target of 19.4 per cent in 2004/5, the latest figures available.
• Over 1,300 schools in Wales are participating Eco-Schools, from nurseries to secondary schools, supported by funding from the Labour Assembly Government. Pupils are encouraged to make their schools more environmentally friendly and to think about how individual actions can affect the environment and climate. Activities include recycling, energy and water-saving, gardening and safe routes to school.

Improving water, rivers and beaches

• Welsh beaches, rivers and drinking water now of the highest ever quality. All beaches in Wales comply with rigorous European standards and a record 43 beaches have the prestigious blue flag status.
• Tap water quality in Wales is at an all-time high. Figures from the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the independent water watchdog, show that drinking water quality in Wales is meeting tough, new drinking water standards.
• Thanks to Labour’s investment in sewage treatment and in tackling pollution, 95% of Welsh rivers are classified as of good quality – up from 86% in 1990. Since 2000 the percentage of Welsh rivers classified as being of very good standard has risen from 67 per cent to 76 per cent.
• Announced measures to assist water customers in Wales, including a customer dividend from Dwr Cymru, to help cut water bills by £18 per customer for each of the next five years.
• Established Flood Risk Management Wales as the new statutory flood defence committee in Wales.
• New streamlined processes introduced to improve local flood defences.
• Increased investment in flood defences to £32m a year.

Protecting communities from pollution

• Sustainable Aggregates Levy Fund has committed £8.3 million to support 145 projects across Wales in communities affected by quarrying.
• New regulations introduced to protect communities from the effects of opencast mining. As promised, we will impose a 250m buffer zone to protect homes and families nearest to developments.
• £5m funding announced to investigate and remediate potentially contaminated sites.

A thriving farming and food industry

• Reformed the way support is paid to farmers. The new Common Agricultural Policy payments will help farmers meet customer demand and will reward improvements made to the environment.
• Help for farmers to protect and improve local environments through the new Tir Cynnal scheme. In 2005 alone more than 5,000 applications to the scheme were received.
• Introduced the Organic Maintenance Scheme, which provides ongoing support to organic farmers.
• More than £23m in Farming Connect grants have been committed, generating a total investment in the infrastructure of the Welsh Farming industry of more than £62m.
• Labour supports the food industry in Wales. We have given grants totalling £40m, helping to generate over £105m in investment in the food industry. This has helped to secure or create over 2,500 jobs and has benefited more than 9,000 producers.
• We have secured protection of Geographical Indications for Welsh lamb and beef, enabling welsh producers to obtain premium prices.
• Welsh beef is now supplied to all but one of the health trusts in Wales, and Labour is working with local authorities to get more welsh produce into schools
• Following negotiations by the Assembly Government’s Labour Countryside Minister, exports of Welsh lamb to the United Arab Emirates are now allowed – for the first time since the ban was introduced in 2001
• Over 2,500 jobs created through the £40m Food Processing and Marketing Grant.