Welsh Liberal blogs

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to forge ahead with its own deposit return scheme, citing the “unacceptable” delay of plans by the Conservative Government to introduce a joint England, Wales and Northern Irish scheme. A Deposit Return Scheme, also known as a bottle deposit scheme, encourages people to recycle drinks containers such as plastic or glass bottles. People pay a small deposit for the container which is paid back when it is returned to a collection point. In Norway, the scheme has led to 95 per cent of bottles being recycled. Research from Wrap Cymru estimates that 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated in Wales each year, with 67 per cent of that waste being packaging. Another report by the Marine Conservation Society found that there were 29 drinks containers for every 100 meters of beach in Wales. The Conservatives first announced they would seek to introduce a UK-wide deposit scheme in 2018, but earlier this year quietly...

  The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to deliver on its long promised Clean Air Act for Wales, stating that the “health of Welsh people cannot wait any longer for its introduction” and that Welsh Labour had “not acted fast enough” to secure the Bill’s introduction. The Welsh Labour Government has consistently promised a clean air act for Wales, but its introduction has faced repeated delays. Such an act would likely contain measures such as implementing World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, mandating the Welsh Government to produce an air-quality strategy every five years, introduce a “right to breathe” and require local authorities to monitor and assess air pollution and take action to reduce it.   Poor air quality currently costs Wales considerably, with an estimated 2,000 people dying a year in Wales and many more having their average life expectancy cut short. The cost of air-quality related health conditions for the Welsh NHS appr...

  We must invest in our green infrastructure to support sustainable transport. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have this week called on both the Welsh Government and local councils to work together along with industry to ensure Wales is not left behind in the roll-out of electric vehicle charging points. Sales of electric vehicles grew by over 130% in the year to May 2020, with sales expected to grow further in the coming years. Consultancy Capital Economics last year estimated that the UK will need 25.3m charge points by 2050 if we are to hit the legislated target of net zero carbon emissions. This news coupled with a report from the Senedd’s Economy Infrastructure and Skills Committee could indicate that Wales has the potential to fall behind in our bid to become carbon neutral by 2050. Jane Dodds, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “The lack of charging points is clearly as issue for people all over Wales. “Many homes, especially those in built up urban areas...

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for the Assembly’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to launch an inquiry into recent flooding around Pentre and the role work by Natural Resources Wales may ha Natural Resources Wales have admitted that a culvert was blocked by debris resulting from trees they cut down. This is believed to have significantly contributed to the flooding suffered by Pentre. Cllr Rodney Berman, Lead Welsh Lib Dem Senedd Candidate for South Wales Central commented: The flooding suffered by communities from across South and Mid Wales has been devastating. Our thoughts are with all those whose homes and communities have been devastated. These floods were the result of exceptional rainfall, but we must remember that extraordinary weather events will only become more frequent in future due to climate change. The Welsh and UK Government must use all the powers at their disposal to urgently tackle the climate em...