Urgent action is needed in Wales to prevent the worsening of the climate and nature crises, according to the latest State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR).
Published under the Environment Act by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the report (opens as PDF) assesses how sustainably Wales is managing its natural resources.
It warns that a rethink is urgently required in how food is grown and consumed, land is used, people travel, and homes are heated, as almost one in five species now faces extinction.
See also: Landscape Recovery: In conversation with Tony Juniper
The report highlights further concerns: only 40% of water bodies achieve good status, and ecosystem resilience remains low across much of the country.
Wales is also using more than its fair share of global natural resources.
NRW chairman Neil Sachdev said: “SoNaRR has shown us that the most damaging pressures on nature are not confined to environmental policy.
“They are built into how we heat our homes, how we travel, how we grow and consume food, how we use land, and how we invest in places.”
Recommended change
While some progress has been made over the past six years, NRW and the office of the future generation’s commissioner recommend further action.
These include:
- Redesigning everyday systems
- Restoring nature as essential infrastructure
- Building a regenerative economy
- Realigning governance for the long term
- Delivering a fair transition.
Examples of targeted interventions already under way include peatland restoration, air quality legislation, and the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), officially launched on 1 January by the Welsh government.
Industry reaction
Nature Friendly Farming Network Cymru manager Rhys Evans welcomed the SFS being highlighted as a solution, but called for more funding for its most ambitious tiers.
“These are the ones that will have the most impact on tackling climate change and helping nature’s recovery,” he said.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) cautioned that the findings may be disappointing for the sector despite farmers’ long-standing participation in environmental schemes.
FUW policy officer Teleri Fielden said: “Farmers’ ability to deliver environmental outcomes is shaped by market volatility, supply chain pressures and, critically, government policy and regulation.”
Meanwhile, she claimed that the failure of Natural Resources Wales to effectively regulate pollution incidents “continues to undermine environmental outcomes”.
Mrs Fielden also cited gaps in site of special scientific interest management plans, low payment rates under the Habitat Wales Scheme, and limited on-farm renewable energy incentives as factors affecting results.