Thank you for writing to me regarding the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
While I welcome its publication, the report makes for very sobering reading, laying clear the stark consequences climate change is having on our planet and what will happen if decisive action is not taken now.
The report also warns that climate change is already affecting every single region across the globe and without urgent action warming, heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and loss of Arctic Sea ice, snow cover and permafrost, will all increase. In addition, the report highlights that immediate action is required to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050 to give a good chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C in the long-term and help to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
I am glad that the UK Government is already taking the issue of climate change incredibly seriously and we have decarbonised our economy faster than any country in the G20 over the last two decades. In addition, ambitious targets such as a 68 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and a 78 per cent reduction in emissions by 2035, also compared to 1990 levels have been enshrined in law.
The IPCC report must be a wake-up call for the rest of the world to take action now. While welcome progress has been made. For example, when the UK took on the COP Presidency two years ago, 30 percent of world GDP was covered by a net zero target and that is now at around 90 per cent. Over the same period, 154 parties to the agreement have submitted new national targets, representing 80 per cent of global emissions.
As climate change is a devolved matter, it is vital that the Labour Welsh Government uses its powers to ensure that Wales plays its part in combatting climate change. As you may know, the Labour Welsh Government declared a climate change emergency in 2019, however, it has so far failed to take any serious action. It is particularly concerning that the Committee on Climate Change has previously reported that Wales was not on track to meet its 80% target by 2050, let alone achieve Net Zero. The Labour Welsh Government therefore needs to take the action required to tackle climate change, rather than hide behind empty rhetoric.
Please do be assured that my colleague, the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, will continue to hold this Labour Government to account.
Kind regards,