Government under fire for eco crisis cash pledge

THE Welsh Government has been criticised for declaring a climate emergency but not backing that up with a significant sum of money in its budget for next year.

The Labour-run Government, which declared the emergency in April last year, says it has allocated £140m for green schemes in its £17bn spending plans for 2020/21.

That is equivalent to just 0.82% of the sums that the Welsh Government will spend on public services next year.

A spokeswoman for ministers described the spending package as “ambitious” and included “the largestever capital package devoted to combating climate change”.

But the Assembly’s Finance Committee says that spending commitment does not reflect the importance of the declaration of a climate emergency

The committee says it is not convinced the government has a clear understanding of the impact its decisions will have on carbon emissions or the climate.

Committee members say they are disappointed the Welsh Government declared the climate emergency and then published a budget that does not attempt to set out the carbon impact of its expenditure.

“In declaring a ‘climate emergency’, the Welsh Government is taking steps towards addressing the issue of climate change and its impact on the world,” said committee chairman Llyr Gruffydd AM.

“However, this committee feels the Welsh Government could and should have gone further to recognise the effects its own decisions and priorities are having on our climate.”

The committee said the evidence it had heard was that increases in future budgets will be unsustainable without higher borrowing or increases in taxation.

The committee also said it had concern about the impact of Brexit on

Wales, especially the continuation of funding previously provided by the European Union, and in particular, direct payments to farmers and other businesses in the fisheries and agriculture sector.

It also said there was a “lack of clarity” in the Welsh Government’s strategy for tackling poverty.

Mr Gruffydd AM said: “We are in unprecedented times as we approach Brexit, and risks and opportunities aside, what people are searching for most of all is clarity and certainty.

“The Welsh Government expects EU structural funds will be replaced by the UK Government.

“But agriculture sits outside of this so the committee would like assurances farming payments will continue as normal until a new funding structure is brought in.

“Nobody should be worse off as a result of leaving the EU.”

The committee made 27 recommendations and five Assembly committees will publish more detailed reports on January 31.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “We are taking ambitious measures in this budget to support our whole-government approach to tackling the climate emergency. The Draft Budget will deliver major investment in the areas where the evidence tells us we can have the greatest impact.

“This includes the largest-ever capital package devoted to combating climate change.

“It will provide an extra £96m for decarbonisation measures, within the wider £140m green investment package.

“This new investment builds on the major commitments we are already making as a government that is serious about the climate emergency.”