NEW polling suggests voters in Wales want stronger action on climate change, nature recovery, clean energy and pollution ahead of next month’s Senedd election.

Climate Cymru, a coalition of organisations, communities and campaigners, said the findings showed public concern remained high as Wales prepares to go to the polls on Thursday, May 7.

The polling, highlighted by Climate Cymru partners including Friends of the Earth Cymru, WWF Cymru and RSPB Cymru, found that six in ten people in Wales said they were worried about climate change.

Concern was even higher among younger people, with 78 per cent of 16 to 29-year-olds saying they were worried.

The research also pointed to growing concern about the impact of climate change on daily life, including extreme weather, food insecurity, poverty and the wider economic consequences for communities across Wales.

Climate Cymru said the findings showed strong support for practical measures including warmer homes, home energy efficiency schemes, community-led renewable energy, and the expansion of solar and wind power.

The Friends of the Earth Cymru polling found that 81 per cent supported funding for home energy efficiency, 75 per cent backed community-led renewable energy, 83 per cent supported solar power, 72 per cent supported offshore wind, and 65 per cent supported onshore wind.

Nature recovery was also highlighted as a major public priority.

RSPB Cymru polling found that 74 per cent of people in Wales supported legal targets for nature recovery, while 76 per cent wanted governments to do more to tackle nature loss. A further 77 per cent said they wanted to see more wildlife thriving in local green spaces.

WWF polling found strong support for action on water pollution, with 87 per cent backing measures to tackle river pollution, 81 per cent supporting a target to halve freshwater pollution by 2030, and 79 per cent supporting the restoration of seagrass, saltmarsh and oyster reefs.

Climate Cymru said Wales had seen a 20 per cent decline in wildlife since 1994, with one in six species threatened with extinction nationally.

A Climate Cymru spokesperson said: “The message from the public is clear: people want political leaders to match the scale of the climate and nature crises with bold, practical policies that improve everyday life.”

The coalition is calling on all parties contesting the Senedd election to commit to clean energy, warmer homes, stronger legal protections for nature, urgent action on river pollution, and support for nature-friendly farming.

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has paid tribute to long-serving Pembroke Dock Market councillor Brian Hall, following his death.

Cllr Hall first joined the authority after winning a by-election in 1996 and went on to serve his community for nearly 30 years.

During his time on the council, he represented the authority on a wide range of bodies, including the RWE Npower Pembroke Power Station and Valero Liaison Committee, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and the Swansea Bay City Region Joint Scrutiny Committee.

He was also an active member of several scrutiny committees and the Planning Committee.

Cllr Hall previously served on the Cabinet from its creation in 2002 until March 2007. Between 2012 and 2022, he also chaired several Overview and Scrutiny Committees, including those covering environment, services and corporate matters.

Council Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “We were all very sad to hear of Cllr Brian Hall’s death.

“I pass on the condolences of everyone at the council to his family and many friends.

“Brian was a council stalwart and had been working for, and demanding better, for his constituents for nearly 30 years.

“His enthusiasm for his home patch was unmatched and there was little of Pembroke Dock’s history that he could not tell you about.

“The loss of Brian from the chamber will be felt by all members of council across the board.”

Independent Group Leader Cllr Anji Tinley also paid tribute, saying: “The loss of Cllr Hall profoundly saddens us.

“He was a well-respected figure known for his dedication and commitment to local governance and his community.

“His legacy will live on in the lives he touched, and we will dearly miss him.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

SIX Senedd candidates have been questioned on climate change, wildlife and the green economy at an election hustings in Narberth.

The event, organised by Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, was held at the Queen’s Hall and brought together candidates from six political parties standing in the forthcoming Senedd election.

Those taking part were Alistair Cameron for the Liberal Democrats, Amy Nicholass for the Green Party, Claire George for the Welsh Conservatives, Gwyn Evans for Gwlad, Marc Tierney for Welsh Labour, and Cris Tomos for Plaid Cymru.

They were pictured with the chair of the evening, Neil Kingsnorth, and Bettina Becker, both of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth.

Notably absent from the platform was Reform UK, which is also contesting the election and whose national policy includes scrapping net zero.

Candidates were questioned on a range of environmental and economic issues, including the rise in extreme weather linked to climate change, the need to grow more food locally, pollution in local rivers and seas, the decline of wildlife, improvements to public transport, and the job opportunities offered by the green economy.

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth said: “The candidates mostly said the right things about important environmental and economic issues, as they have been doing for many years, but now have to show far more commitment to put these concerns into practice.

“We don’t want this to be just another exercise in lip service. We need far more action now to offer our children and grandchildren a better future by preventing nature and climate collapse.”

For further information, contact Bettina Becker, Coordinator of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, at [email protected] or on 01437 563657.

Pictured: Candidates at the Narberth hustings with chair Neil Kingsnorth and Bettina Becker, both of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth.