Wales’ nature is now a major step closer to being on the road to recovery, thanks to you.
Thanks to thousands of RSPB Cymru campaigners, supporters and nature lovers who contacted their Members of the Senedd, Wales’ nature is now a major step closer to being on the road to recovery.
The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill 2026 has been a long time coming. Our official exit from the European Union in 2020 led to a lack of much needed environmental governance in Wales, which is essential if we are to address the nature emergency that the Senedd itself declared in 2021. While it has taken years to pass legislation that fills these gaps, yesterday’s passing of Wales’ Environment Bill embeds the ambition we need to restore nature.
The Bill has three parts, each tackling a different aspect.
Puts important environmental principles into Welsh law, which will now apply to all policy making in Wales, including:
This means that when the Welsh Government makes new policies or decisions, it must properly consider the impact on the environment. Environmental protection can no longer be treated as an afterthought — it must be built into decision-making from the start.
Creates the Office of Environmental Governance Wales (OEGW), an environmental watchdog, that will enforce compliance with environmental law. Wales had been the only UK country not to create a permanent, independent environmental oversight body since leaving the EU. The right for people to report any concerns to the OEGW is now enshrined in law, safeguarding access to environmental justice.
Provides a framework for the setting of legally-binding nature-recovery targets, ensuring that future Ministers are held to account for the state of nature.
Amendments to the Bill, through its various stages, have improved the environmental protection that the Bill gives - vital changes that will positively affect our nature in years to come. We are delighted that the three key asks we featured in our e-action last year have all fed into the final version of the Bill, demonstrating the power that we have when collective action is taken.
The hard work is not over! The targets framework, while ambitious, is only a foundation. Over the next two years, the Welsh Government will develop a suite of targets to drive nature restoration – and RSPB Cymru will be advocating strongly for the changes that nature needs in Wales.
Without thousands of people like you speaking up and demanding action to protect and restore nature, these successes would not be possible. Thank you!
