Committee on Climate Change

Jane Davidson has been Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales since July 2007 and leads the Welsh Assembly’s work on climate change. Previously she was Minister for  Education and Life-long Learning. She is a keen walker and cyclist and was placed 3rd in this year’s Independent on Sunday’s Green List of the top 100 environmental campaigners in the UK...

Q1. What are you doing in Wales to reduce the authorities emissions?
The Welsh Assembly Government has made a commitment to fight climate change, which is not some academic concept but a real danger to the world. That is why we have set a target of reducing greenhouse gasses by 3 per cent per year from 2011 in devolved areas. We recently launched a consultation on our plan of action on how we will achieve this (find out more at www.wales.gov.uk/consultations ). In total we are committing £300 million across all departments to contribute to the target. We have also established a Climate Change Commission for Wales, drawing members from a wide range of political, business, local authority, trade and rural organisations, whose role is to inform on the target. On an international level we have signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme to help regional governments in Africa to create their own climate change action plans – and gain the expertise to bid for the funds to deliver them.  Wales may be a small country, but we are determined to do our part to lead this agenda.

Q2. What are your top priorities for this year?
My top priorities are to get responses to our climate change strategy following the consultation and make sure that Wales plays its part at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen talks in December.

Q3. Is the UK Government doing enough to tackle climate change?
The UK Government’s commitment to statutory targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 is a great step forward. It will give the UK the ability push forward the agenda at Copenhagen and encourage world leaders to take the ambitious steps we so need to protect our environment.

Q4. If you could do anything, what would you put in place to improve conditions for people that want to either walk/ cycle as opposed to driving?
I would love to make sure that dedicated cycle lanes don’t stop all of a sudden with no information for cyclists! That is why in February I launched our walking and cycling action plan, a four year blueprint that aims to get more people to walk and cycle safely as part of their daily lives. The truth is too many of us still opt to take the car when we could walk or cycle. The car is still king in Wales, with the majority of journeys being less than five miles long. This plan aims to change that. We want to enhance and link up cycle routes on an all-Wales basis and support communities to make a difference. Importantly, we want to change people’s behaviour and attitudes.

Q5. What is your carbon footprint? What are you doing to reduce it?
I like to think it is low – I cycle and walk as much as possible, often using the Taff Trail cycle path to get from my home to the Assembly. Unfortunately as a Minister I sometimes have no choice but to travel by air on occasions, but I do everything I can to avoid this. When I attended the UN talks at Poznan in Poland I travelled there and back by train. I plan to do the same for the Copenhagen talks in December.