The Welsh Government has announced a new target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a decade earlier than the UK Labour government's 2050 goal. The announcement, made by cabinet minister Llyr Gruffydd, has drawn mixed reactions from politicians and environmentalists.
Environmental groups welcome target but call for action
Friends of the Earth Cymru welcomed the target, citing recent devastating wildfires across Wales as evidence that action is needed to address the environmental emergency. However, the organisation cautioned that the commitment must be accompanied by ambitious policies and meaningful action.
A spokesman for Friends of the Earth Cymru said: "The devastating wildfires seen across Wales this summer are a stark warning that the climate and nature crises are already deeply affecting communities across the country. From extreme heat and drought to storms and flooding people in Wales are increasingly experiencing the impacts of a changing climate."
He added that polling consistently shows public support for government action on climate and nature emergencies, and that the target could lower household bills, improve public health, create greener communities, and reduce inequality across Wales.
Political opposition and concerns over economic impact
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS welcomed ambitious climate action but said targets mean little without a credible plan. She noted that Wales has seen a "repeated shifting" of its net zero target in the past. The previous Labour government had set a 2030 target for the public sector and a 10-year action pathway from 2025 to 2035 under a 2021 co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. Ahead of the 2024 general election, Plaid Cymru aimed for net zero by 2035, but party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth later pushed that back by five years.
Ms Dodds said: "Welsh Liberal Democrats have always backed ambitious action on climate change but we also see the transition as a huge economic opportunity. Government should be unlocking private investment, supporting innovation, and creating the conditions for new well-paid green jobs here in Wales. What matters now is a credible plan for delivery – not another target."
Reform UK claimed the targets would cause "huge damage" to the Welsh economy. A party spokesman said clean energy should be embraced when cost-effective but not pursued while other countries continue to pollute. He said: "Setting targets like these will cause huge damage to the Welsh economy and heap misery on households struggling with the cost of living crisis. While we should embrace clean energy when it is cost-effective we should not be increasing energy bills and choking off growth in the pursuit of net zero while around the world other countries continue to pollute."
Welsh Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies, shadow minister for farming and the environment, described the announcement as an "ideological target" and said implementing it 10 years ahead of the rest of the UK would risk putting Welsh businesses and workers at a "competitive disadvantage". He added: "The Welsh Government must be honest about the economic costs of this ambition, which would kill off economic growth and make people in Wales poorer. We should follow the evidence and support practical, affordable decarbonisation instead of pursuing ideological targets that could drive businesses, investment, and jobs out of Wales."
