THE Welsh government has been accused of “delays, undelivered commitments and missed deadlines” in its efforts to save and protect the country’s environment and wildlife.

The accusation came from the Welsh government’s own climate change, environment and infrastructure committee, which in its latest report said the Labour-led government lacks a plan, action and investment.

In June 2021, the Welsh government promised to set legally binding biodiversity targets, the committee said, but recently admitted that the targets are now unlikely to be set for another four years.

“If saving nature is really a priority for the Welsh government, they would set the targets much sooner,” the committee said.

Committee chairman Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “After decades of pollution, urbanisation and the impact of climate change, Wales’s nature is in trouble.

“One in six Welsh species are threatened with extinction and our wildlife has decreased on average by 20 per cent in the last 30 years.

“It is encouraging that the Welsh government acknowledges that this is a serious issue and that they’ve committed to stopping and reversing the decline in our biodiversity.  

“But the unfortunate reality is that the Welsh government’s numerous plans, strategies and policies have failed to halt this decline.

“And it’s clear that this is because there has been little investment or action to make good on these promises.”  

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We are committed to tackling the nature emergency and recognise the need to increase the scale and pace of our delivery to meet both current and future biodiversity targets.

“As the report notes, a Wales-wide approach is needed, it is not just for government to tackle on its own.”