A response to the State of Nature report
The State of Nature Report shows us that Wales is under pressure to take the nature crisis seriously. The Labour Government has been far too slow to recognise the importance of the environment in Wales. Wales is lacking in legally binding targets for nature recovery, which has led to the decline of species in Wales – 1 in 6 are at risk of extinction.
The UK Government have been setting fantastic targets, through the Environment Act 2021, to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. The UK Government have also been a signatory at COP15 and COP27, and are investing in the Nature for Climate Fund.
Speaking on the nature crisis, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders MS said:
“I am determined to reverse the decline in wildlife and am calling for change from the Labour Government.
“The Labour Government must introduce legal targets for nature recovery in Wales, a National Marine Development Plan and to set up a Welsh equivalent to the Office for Environmental Protection, as Wales is currently the only country in the UK without one.
“For all of their self-gratification on the environment in Wales it is plain to see that as always, Labour are all talk and no action. Our natural environment is vitally important, and it is essential that we preserve and protect it for future generations to enjoy.”
Enforcement and sanctions policy?
7.1.7 Previous history and repeat offending
The degree of offending and/or non-compliance (including site-specific offending or generic failures by the offender) will be taken into account. We will normally escalate our enforcement response where previous sanctions have failed to achieve the desired outcome. For example, where a formal caution has previously been used to deal with offending but has failed to encourage behaviour change and prevent a repeat of the offending, it is likely that the offender will be prosecuted or, where available, a variable monetary penalty will be served.
