James Evans, a Reform UK member of the Senedd Cymru (MS) and former Conservative, has been appointed chair of the Welsh climate change, environment, sustainability and rural affairs committee. The appointment has drawn criticism from climate campaigners and a green thinktank, who warn it could undermine the scrutiny of Welsh government policies on climate and net zero.
Role and Concerns
The committee is the only environmental scrutiny body in the Senedd, responsible for examining legislation, holding the Welsh government to account on climate breakdown, and making recommendations. Ruth Chambers, senior fellow at the Green Alliance thinktank, said the chair's role is critical because it is the principal way to hold the government accountable. She warned that party politicking could undermine the hard graft of ministerial scrutiny.
Reform UK has pledged to scrap net zero policies, with leader Nigel Farage calling them "lunacy" and vowing to cancel renewable energy contracts. Evans has previously stated that rural Wales is "under attack" from large-scale green energy projects and has promised to ban new onshore wind farms if elected.
Evans's Response
Evans, who has a farming background, said his role is to be "fair, impartial and evidence-led" and that scrutiny is strongest when it includes different perspectives. He added that the chair's job is not to drive personal agendas but to ensure proper policy scrutiny.
Expert Reactions
Karen Whitfield, director of Wales Environment Link, noted that recent Welsh elections brought a large intake of Reform MSs, leading to heated debates on net zero. She said only time will tell if Evans introduces bias in committee inquiries. Bethan Sayed, head of politics and advocacy at Climate Cymru, questioned whether Reform wants to push polarising agendas or work constructively, citing their campaign statements on reopening mines and opposing renewable developments. She stressed the need for other committee members to encourage Reform to engage in a serious parliamentary process.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Warning
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that fossil fuel emissions are the dominant cause of the climate crisis and that global greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2030 from 2010 levels to avoid catastrophic impacts.
Evans expressed hope that the Welsh government will respect committee reports and take them on board, noting that previous governments may not have listened enough to committees.
