London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Climate change: Wales' carbon zero targets 'down to politics'

Climate change: Wales' carbon zero targets 'down to politics'

Zero carbon targets can only be met by 2050 if the Welsh and UK governments communicate more effectively, an academic has said.

Dr Neal Hockley, of Bangor University, said Wales' chances of meeting the targets were ambitious but largely down to the "politics of the issue".

The Welsh government agreed working with Westminster is "very important".

But it said it was "disappointing and frustrating" that the UK government had not shared its climate strategy.

A spokesman added: "Despite us participating in good faith in various workshops and with requests for information over the last several years, the UK government did not choose to share its net zero strategy with us in a meaningful way or timeframe ahead of publication.

"It made it impossible to ensure the Welsh and UK strategies were coherent.

"We agree that the UK and devolved governments need each other to enable and support delivery of our ambitious climate targets and would remind the UK government that transparency and collaboration, as captured by the COP theme of 'working together', is very important."

A UK government spokesman said: "We worked closely with the Welsh government to develop the Net Zero Strategy - our comprehensive, UK-wide plan to cut pollution, deploy clean energy and create jobs in new industries.

"The UK government will continue to engage regularly with the devolved administrations as we work together to end our country's contribution to climate change by 2050."

Thousands of protesters joined a climate change demonstration in Cardiff on Saturday


Last week, the Welsh government published its latest update on its vision to become carbon free by 2050.

However Dr Hockley, a senior lecturer in environmental economics and policy, said he did not think either the UK government or the Welsh government were clear on how to reach the net zero target by 2050.

"I don't think there's a fully concrete plan to get us to 2050, to net zero," he told BBC Wales' Politics Wales programme.

"In fairness to the Welsh government, a lot of the policy tools that are going to be required to get us there lie with the UK government.

"It's clear there's not brilliant communication between the UK government and the Welsh government on these issues, and that's something that's going to have to change."

He added: "There are so many unknowns and too many hard decisions that need to be taken if we were to get to net zero by 2050 that haven't yet been taken.

"That will depend on the politics of the issue and I'm not going to try and predict politics."

Lord Deben, chair of the independent climate change committee, told BBC Wales he thought the UK government had historically not been good at working with the other nations or regional government.

He said: "I very much hope the accession for Michael Gove as communities and levelling up secretary will mean they will go to some real effort to get a much better partnership between the central government, the nationalities and local government.

"I use Wales as the example of this because the Welsh government has built a relationship with local government, which is exemplary - better than anywhere else in the United Kingdom."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×