Party hopeful cites national security report on ecosystem collapse and food supply threats

A GREEN PARTY candidate standing in the upcoming Senedd elections has warned that biodiversity loss and environmental decline could pose serious risks to food supplies and national security.

Amy Nicholass, the Green Party’s Ceredigion Penfro lead candidate for the May election, has highlighted the findings of a report titled Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, which examines how environmental breakdown could affect the stability of societies.

Nicholass, who holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, said the report shows the need for communities to become more resilient in the face of environmental shocks.

“We need to create resilient communities,” she said. “Such communities are being formed all over the UK at the moment.”

The report outlines how biodiversity decline and ecosystem damage could disrupt food production and increase pressures on national infrastructure.

Environmental campaigners have also launched a new initiative called SAFER – Strategic Adaptation for Emergency Resilience – which aims to help communities prepare for major shocks linked to climate change and ecological decline.

The campaign has been promoted by former Green MP Dr Caroline Lucas and environmental thinker Dr Rupert Read.

Nicholass said the involvement of national security experts highlights the seriousness of the issue.

“There are still people, and political leaders who deny that climate change is real,” she said. “Now is the time to come together to acknowledge the truth and find solutions that are good for nature and good for people, and which do not leave poorer members of our society behind.”

The report also highlights the challenges already facing farmers, with changing weather patterns and biodiversity loss affecting crop production.

Nicholass said farmers are on the front line of the crisis but must also be supported as part of the solution.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Nature underpins our security, prosperity and resilience.”

Nicholass added that communities had shown during the Covid pandemic that rapid change is possible when people understand the scale of a challenge.

“In the Green Party we always look for hope,” she said. “The pandemic showed that people and communities can be resilient and rethink priorities in times of crisis.”

CANDIDATE CRITICISES DARC PROPOSAL

THE GREEN PARTY has voiced strong opposition to plans for a major US military radar installation on Pembrokeshire’s St Davids Peninsula, warning the development risks escalating global tensions and damaging the area’s environment and tourism industry.

The proposed project, known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), would involve the construction of 27 large radar dishes designed to track objects in space. The system would form part of a US-led network intended to monitor satellites and other activity in orbit.

Amy Nicholass, the Green Party’s number one candidate for the Ceredigion Penfro constituency in the upcoming Senedd elections, said the proposals represented a return to Cold War-style thinking.

She said: “The DARC proposals are a disgrace. They benefit no one except the US government. When the US tells Westminster to jump, the Westminster government simply asks how high.

“We should be putting all our efforts into creating lasting peace, not allowing anyone to recreate Cold War tactics where none of us feel safe. Peace is at the heart of Welsh culture.”

Campaigners have also raised concerns about the wider implications of militarising space. The radar system would be used to monitor satellites and other objects in orbit, including those belonging to potential adversaries.

Critics argue that the destruction of satellites could create large amounts of debris in space, which could threaten other satellites used for weather forecasting, telecommunications and navigation.

Local residents have also expressed concern about the potential impact on the landscape and tourism industry.

A community group known as PARC Against DARC has been campaigning against the proposals, warning the development could harm the reputation of the St Davids Peninsula, an area widely regarded as one of Wales’ most important natural and tourism assets.

The campaign group describes the peninsula as a “jewel-in-the-crown natural wonder” and a key attraction for visitors to Pembrokeshire.

Nicholass said developments of this scale must involve local communities in the decision-making process.

“It is vitally important that local people have a say on developments like this,” she said. “We need more local power when it comes to large planning decisions that could fundamentally change our landscape.”

She added that the current international climate made diplomacy more important than ever.

“We understand how precarious the world can feel for many people,” she said. “We are fortunate to live in a peaceful part of the world, but proposals like this risk bringing global conflict closer to home.

“We all share this one planet and need to be part of the conversation about how to stand up for each other in peaceful ways.”

THE INDEPENDENT PRESS STANDARDS ORGANISATION has rejected a complaint made against The Pembrokeshire Herald over its reporting of a Domestic Violence Protection Order hearing.

The complaint related to an article headlined “Dorset man stopped at Fishguard ferry given domestic violence order,” which was published on February 2, 2026.

The complainant alleged the report breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, claiming the article gave readers the misleading impression that he had a proven history of domestic violence and criminal behaviour.

However, after reviewing the complaint, IPSO’s Complaints Team concluded that the article did not raise a possible breach of the Editors’ Code.

In its decision, the regulator noted that newspapers are responsible for accurately reporting what is said in court proceedings, rather than verifying the accuracy of statements made during those hearings.

IPSO said the complainant did not dispute that the allegations referenced in the article had been raised during the court hearing.

The regulator also noted that the report made clear the nature of a Domestic Violence Protection Order, explaining that it is a civil safeguarding measure and does not amount to a criminal conviction.

On that basis, IPSO concluded that the article was not misleading and that there were no grounds to investigate a breach of the Code.

The complainant has seven days to request that the decision be reviewed by IPSO’s Complaints Committee.