Climate

Wales could achieve Net Zero by 2035 under bold new proposals

Published

2 years ago

September 16, 2024

WALES could reach its net zero target 15 years ahead of schedule, according to new proposals published today by the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group. The reports, which were released on Monday 16th September, aim to renew and accelerate Wales’s approach to tackling climate change, offering a strategic roadmap for reaching net zero by 2035 instead of the current 2050 target.

The proposals encompass a wide range of sectors, including education, food, energy, buildings, and transport, and outline a series of actionable strategies designed to help Wales navigate the changing climate.

Rachel Sharp, Director of Wildlife Trusts Wales, praised the potential impact of these proposals, saying: “The new proposals reveal that huge benefits to the Welsh public are possible through a faster net zero transition, including improved public health, reduced pressure on the NHS, greater energy security, a more resilient food supply, and low-carbon job generation.”

The push for an earlier target comes as Wales, alongside other nations, confronts increasingly severe and frequent weather events that have been predicted by climate scientists. With global leaders emphasising the critical point at which we stand in the fight against climate change, the need for urgent action has never been clearer. Sharp added, “It’s clear that urgent action is needed and that we should all try to reach net zero much faster.”

As a sub-nation to the UK in the upcoming COP 29 summit this November, Wales is seeking to expedite its climate action. The current net zero target is set for 2050, but over the past year, a multidisciplinary group has explored pathways to determine whether achieving net zero by 2035 is feasible.

By examining transformative changes implemented worldwide, the group concluded that with the right investment and political commitment, Wales can indeed accelerate its climate ambitions. They focused on the five key challenges of food, energy, housing, transport, work, and skills, and found a way to elevate Wales’s ambitions and drive forward the necessary actions.

Sharp further emphasised the importance of nature-based solutions in the fight against climate change, stating, “There are real opportunities for harnessing the power of nature, for example, to help Wales adapt to our changing climate. Natural habitats – when healthy and in good condition – can be enormously beneficial. Restored, re-wetted peatlands can store carbon and hold back water in times of heavy rainfall, thus alleviating flooding. Welsh citizens will increasingly need such benefits – sometimes known as ‘public goods’. Such nature-based solutions must form a bedrock of change if Wales is to achieve net zero.”

The Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group’s full report can be found at netzero2035.wales.

Rachel Sharp, who serves as Director of Wildlife Trusts Wales and was an independent advisor on the group, ensured that the proposed pathways would also lead to nature-positive outcomes.

With these ambitious proposals on the table, Wales stands at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to combat climate change, potentially setting a precedent for other nations to follow in the urgent race to net zero.

Climate

Welsh windfarms to power major construction materials firm

Published

1 hour ago

May 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A MAJOR construction materials company has signed a long-term deal to use renewable energy from Welsh windfarms as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions.

Energy firm RWE has agreed a 15-year contract to supply electricity to Breedon Group plc, which operates sites across Great Britain producing materials including concrete, asphalt and cement.

Under the agreement, RWE will provide around 70 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity each year from its windfarm portfolio.

The power will initially come from the Gwynt y Môr offshore windfarm, about 24km off the coast of North Wales in the Irish Sea. From 2033, supply will switch to the Brechfa Forest West onshore windfarm in Wales.

The electricity will support the production of key building materials, helping Breedon reduce emissions linked to its energy use in a sector widely regarded as difficult to decarbonise.

RWE said the agreement highlighted the role renewable energy can play in helping heavy industry move towards lower-carbon operations.

Olaf Lubenow, head of commodity solutions at RWE, said: “This agreement underlines our commitment to supporting the construction materials sector on its journey towards a more sustainable future.

“By supplying renewable electricity from our wind portfolio, we are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of Breedon’s operations.”

Breedon said the deal would also provide long-term energy stability while supporting its wider sustainability plans.

Donna Hunt, the company’s sustainability director, said the agreement marked “a meaningful step forward”.

She said: “It secures long-term energy supply and helps accelerate the reduction of emissions from our operations.”

The company has set targets to cut emissions across its business by more than 20% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050.

The agreement reflects a growing trend of major industrial firms turning to renewable energy to help meet climate targets while managing rising energy costs.

Business

Pembroke Power Station National Grid shutdown power plans

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to site specialist diesel generators at Pembroke Power Station to help keep the lights on in the event of a National Grid shutdown has been lodged with county planners.

In a screening application to Pembrokeshire County Council, RWE Generation UK PLC, through Ove Arup & Partners Ltd, wants to site up to six containerised diesel generators, diesel storage tank(s) and electrical connections at Pembroke Power Station, Pwllcrochan, near Pembroke.

The application site is within the site of the existing Pembroke Power Station, a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) station which began commercial operation in September 2012, with a gross consented capacity of about 2,199 megawatts electric (MWe), replacing the previous oil-fired power station which operated for almost 30 years and was decommissioned in 1999.

A supporting statement says, subject to confirmation, it is considered to comprise permitted development, the scheme “a standalone plant, with its own fuel supply, capable of starting up, operating and shutting down independently from the power station”.

It adds: “It is required only in an emergency to maintain plant status and keep the power station operationally ‘ready’ in the event of a total or partial shutdown of the National Grid system. It is not required for the normal operation of the power station and does not extend its capacity, which remains as already consented, therefore it is not considered a change or extension.”

On need, it says it is mandatory that all electricity generators of over a megawatt have to adopt a new minimum standard of asset resilience; power stations “must be capable of restoring demand on the National Grid electricity transmission system in the event of a total or partial shutdown of the National Grid system”.

“The Power Station does not currently meet this new asset resilience standard, therefore new back-up power, control philosophy and on-site services that support site critical systems enabling the power station to remain ready to operate must be implemented.

“RWE is required to install a new enhanced emergency site auxiliary solution (diesel generators and diesel storage tanks) at the power station for resilience against the failure of the interconnected electricity distribution network into which it is normally connected in order to satisfy the Grid Code requirements by the mandated implementation deadline of December 31, 2026.

“RWE will make operational and fuelling provision, within its new resilience design at Pembroke power station of up to 120 hours, in order to provide capability to a slightly enhanced standard known to be valued by the National Energy System Operator (‘NESO’) in certain emergency network scenarios.”

It says construction is hoped to start in July 2026, lasting approximately nine to 12 months, the main part across the summer months.

The call will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Business

Pembrokeshire St Brides Castle biomass and solar scheme

Published

3 days ago

May 1, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for a green energy scheme at a Pembrokeshire former country house which is now holiday apartments have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, HPB Ltd, through agent Acanthus Holden Architects, sought permission for a biomass boiler plant and installation of 16 rows of solar panels to the south of the tennis courts, St Brides Castle, St Brides, along with the removal of two tennis courts, two polytunnels, two sheds and relocation of a container.

Marloes and St Brides Community Council: Supporting

An officer report recommending approval said: “St Brides Castle. Listed Grade II* is a former country house (now holiday apartments) just south-west of the small settlement of St Brides.

“The house and its listed ancillary buildings stand prominently within a large grade-II-registered park and garden. The development site lies immediately south of the registered asset, outside of its boundary.”

It added: “Although in a sensitive location, the proposed scheme is well-screened, utilising an existing hedged enclosure. The proposed panels do not protrude over the hedge line, the proposed extra planting to the south and west providing further screening. The proposed building, also well-screened, is of traditional design, proportions and materials.”

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.