Beth yw ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i ganfyddiadau Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, yr Amgylchedd a Seilwaith y Senedd fod angen buddsoddiad pellach mewn data, monitro, arloesi, hyfforddiant sgiliau, gwasanaethau cynghori, ac ymchwil a datblygu yn y sectorau amaethyddol, coedwigaeth, a physgodfeydd i wella'r gallu i wrthsefyll newid yn yr hinsawdd?
Climate Adaptation/Resilience - Agriculture
The Welsh Government is working on a new national climate adaptation strategy, and we are developing a new monitoring framework that will be published soon after, which will be based on the CCC adaptation monitoring framework.
As part of this, we will review evidence of likely scenarios and adaptation strategies available to Welsh farming to support policy teams and the industry in thinking about how to improve climate resilience on farms, whilst also mitigating GHG emissions with an aim to identify win-win actions.
As part of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, we intend to ensure any data collection helps assess the extent and effectiveness of actions taken by farmers to adapt to the impact of climate change.
KT&I Support
Farming Connect interventions such as Our Farms and Advisory Service, will continue to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change and how to mitigate against them.
We will also consider opportunities for promoting and supporting continuous learning and upskilling through our Sustainable Farming Scheme support and Farming Connect programme, as farmers adapt to climate change and develop new skills and as new technologies emerge.
Any future knowledge transfer, innovation and/or advisory service for farmers will include support for farmers to mitigate against climate change, promote resilient farming methods subject to budget availability.
Mental health & well-being support for farmers concerned by the impacts of climate change is also available through FarmWell Wales and rural charities such as RABI, Tir Dewi and DPJ Foundation. The Farm Liaison Service are also on hand to signpost or provide advice where appropriate.
Data Monitoring & Evaluation
Welsh Government are currently developing an interim overarching monitoring and reporting frame-work for all programmes and schemes within Rural Affairs. This will include an evidence-based intervention logic for each scheme, ensure consistent data collection and quality assurance protocols and proactive financial management. The monitoring and reporting timescales are set out in section 4 of the Agriculture Act (Wales) 2023.
As part of our national scale monitoring programme, we capture data and information from field surveys and farmer surveys on actions taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Working with members of the UK GHG inventory teams we undertake evaluation of the sector and specific policy initiatives, for example the land management scheme Glastir contribution to mitigating climate change and helping the sector to adapt to climate change.
Our future monitoring and evaluation of Sustainable Land Management will include climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.
Forestry
The Welsh Government recognises the challenges in making woodland more resilient to the threats posed by our changing climate and we encourage well managed, diverse woodland that are more adaptable to change. NRW publish advice on Making your woodland or forest more resilient on its website.
The Welsh Government also funds the work of Forest Research who have created a Climate Change Hub and published a number of Climate change factsheets . Our grants and maintenance payments are used to fund woodlands that comply with UK Forestry Standards, which includes increasing diversity and improving resilience of woodlands and forests as a key part of its requirement.
The forestry sector has a crucial role to play in the environmental and economic future of Wales. The work we are doing as part of our Timber Strategy looks at how we can ensure we have the right skills and the right training for the future. Growth in the forestry and timber sectors should see an increase in job opportunities across the supply chain and a need for development of skills in woodland creation and management as well as timber processing, manufacturing and construction sectors.
The Net Zero Skills Action Plan, launched in February 2023, sets out a range of actions that aim to support the future skills needs of our key sectors in Wales. Furthermore, we have now completed a Net Zero Sector Skills consultation, which provided an opportunity to strengthen our understanding of the current skills position and skills challenges for sectors in Wales. The outcome of the consultation will help inform Sector Skills Roadmaps, which will include key milestones, skills requirements and workforce demands for sectors, including Land Use.
A new Net Zero strand of our Flexible Skills Programme (FSP) was also launched last October. Aimed at Employers, it provides 50% funding to support a range of courses to help businesses and their workforce adapt to business practices that better meet our net zero targets.
Fisheries
Following our exit from the EU, the Fisheries Act 2020 came into effect to create a UK framework for the management of our fisheries and aquaculture. The eight fisheries objectives set out in the Act, provide the basis for the policies set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) which was published by the UK Fisheries Policy Authorities (FPAs) in 2022. The objectives collectively define sustainable fishing and are designed to help the FPAs balance the achievement of a thriving, profitable seafood sector with a healthy and resilient marine environment in the long term.
The work of the Fisheries Division is now focussed on delivering the fisheries objectives, largely through an ambitious programme of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) set out in the JFS to ensure the sustainable management of sea fish stocks. FMPs provide roadmaps for future management of stocks to maintain and, if necessary, restore them to sustainable levels. The design and structure of FMPs directly relate to the fisheries objectives which includes the climate change objective:
The ‘climate change objective’ is that—
(a) the adverse effect of fish and aquaculture activities on climate change is minimised, and
(b) fish and aquaculture activities adapt to climate change.
The Welsh Government is involved in the delivery of 30 FMPs over the lifetime of this JFS. Each of these plans will include actions in relation to the eight objectives. It will be important we use our resources wisely to achieve the best outcomes alongside wider Welsh Government priorities, including tackling the nature and climate emergencies, and the need to continue to deliver our statutory fisheries duties.