Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament
Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, yr Amgylchedd a Seilwaith | Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee
Datgarboneiddio'r sector cyhoeddus | Decarbonising the public sector
Ymateb gan Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Sir Benfro | Evidence from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Gan adeiladu ar waith Archwilio Cymru, hoffai’r Pwyllgor gael barn am y canlynol:
Welsh Government has a central enabler role in terms of creating the policy, practice, collaborative, financial and problem solving/ driving innovation environment to support public bodies to deliver on the calls for actions.
Welsh Government has an important role to play in supporting collaboration across public bodies and wider private and third sector to develop solutions to more complex barriers or areas that need integrated solutions such as infrastructure to support widespread conversion to electric vehicles, public transport challenges particularly in rural areas and supply chain considerations including wider international supply shortages for certain products. There is a strategic role for the Welsh Government to play in terms of driving the role and performance of collaborative and regional partnerships (such as Public Services Bodies and Corporate Joint Committees) and being clear on what is expected of them in terms of delivery and leadership on the decarbonisation agenda. Alongside considering how these partnerships will be held account, scrutinised and activities interlinked with individual public body activities in terms of this agenda.
Welsh Government is already developing a shared approach on data collection and reporting through its net zero reporting methodology. The Workshops it has held as part of this process for public bodies have been beneficial and improvements, they have made to reporting template. However further work is needed to address limitations in methodology in areas such as commuting, land use and supply chain and provide further support to public bodies in these areas. For example, it would be beneficial for Welsh Government to look at a national commuting survey with standardised survey questions to be used across all public bodies and provided further tools relating to land use and procurement. There is also a wider engagement role needed with the public and Members to explain the methodology the Welsh Government is using.
Additional funding from Welsh Government plays a central role in enabling Public bodies to take on more ambitious decarbonisation project. National Park Authorities and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been able to access the Sustainable Landscapes Sustainable Places fund to support decarbonisation activities, this has included work to support the implementation of a network of Electric Vehicle Charging points across the Park and Pembrokeshire in collaboration with Pembrokeshire County Council, the purchase of land for Carbon sequestration purposes and developing a greening agriculture project supporting dairy farmers with decarbonisation activities. Although there are potential resource efficiency opportunities relating to procurement and circular economy approaches, movement in some areas such as electric or hybrid four by four vehicles needed for certain jobs is unlikely to happen until costs come down or funding is available.
The priority areas for action Buildings, Mobility and Transport, Procurement and Land Use provide a clear focus/ outline for plans and strategic priorities, and it is positive that this structure feeds through to the net zero reporting methodology.
For the Authority the inclusion of Land Use as a pathway is of particular importance in terms of ensuring that our Nature Recovery activities interlink with land use decarbonisation considerations. An example of this in practice is the Authority working to develop guidance on Tree and Woodland Planting in the Park.
In terms of weaknesses:
• The strategy would benefit from having a pathway focused on resourcing the transition and further information on cost modelling to support public bodies in setting their strategic directions for financing decarbonisation plans.
• Further information on how public bodies should option appraise different options that support delivery of activities within these pathways (for example electric v hydrogen), including managing future risks around choices that public body makes
• Climate Adaptation is not mentioned in the strategy and further guidance is needed on how public bodies should integrate their decarbonisation and climate adaptation activities. The Pembrokeshire Public Services Board has undertaken work to develop a Climate Adaptation Strategy for the county and it would be beneficial to have national guidance and support for climate adaptation work.
• The Welsh Local Government Association led Local Government Climate Strategy Panel, which the Authority sits on, has played a positive role in working across Local Government and with Welsh Government to contribute towards developing the pathway to 2030.
Public bodies are currently undertaking work in this area and there are example of good practice happening. COVID 19 has accelerated activities in some areas, but delayed progress in other areas. However, it will be difficult to assess progress until the Net Zero Reporting Methodology has been embedded for a couple of year so there is a body of cross year comparative data that enables effective analysis to be done. There is a need to interlink this data with reporting on activities public bodies have done on these areas and performance against decarbonisation plans.
There are areas where further work and progress is needed particularly relating to supply chain, embedding decarbonisation in decision making (while also balancing this commitment across other duties), dealing with infrastructure issues that limit progress in certain areas, resourcing decarbonisation activities and skills development.
The Welsh Government through the Sustainable Landscapes and Sustainable Places fund and other funding stream has provided funding to enable the Authority to deliver a range of more ambitious projects or enhance its approach and reach. For example:
• Funding of network of fast and rapid electric vehicle charging points (including charging points located at Authority sites to support Authority where feasible to move to electric fleet)
• Funding Community decarbonisation projects in the Park through Sustainable Development Fund
• Greening Agriculture decarbonisation project with dairy farmers in the Park
• Purchase of land for carbon sequestration and nature recovery
Without this additional funding it is unlikely that above activities could be undertaken. These projects have played an important role in giving decarbonisation activities a wider profile in the Authority and engaging a broader range of staff in the delivery of decarbonisation activities.
Further tools and support are needed in the following areas
• Supply chain
• Land Use
• Resourcing and options appraisal
• Waste
• Skills development