Wales to be 'Self-Sustaining' in Renewable Energy by 2025
July 24th, 2009 by Andrew Williams
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Wales has launched one of the world’s most ambitious sustainability strategies, and aims to be “self-sustaining in renewable energy” by 2025, and waste-free by 2050.
The standard-setting targets are laid out in a new strategy called One Wales: One Planet – and immediately place the nation at the forefront of global green efforts, making it one of only three countries worldwide with a legal obligation to develop sustainably.
Commenting on the report Jonathan Porritt, Founding Director of Forum for the Future and Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission said, “Wales will set an example for the rest of the world to follow.”
The new scheme, launched by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) at the May 2009 Hay Festival, includes both 2025 targets and ‘visions’:
- Target: reducing reliance on carbon-based energy by 80-90%
Vision: “the energy intensity of society has decreased significantly”
- Target: producing as much electricity from renewable sources as Wales consumes
Vision: “a major increase in renewable energy generation, offshore and onshore”
- Target: boosting recycling rates from 36% today to 70%
Vision: “waste – whether of energy or other resources – is taboo”
- Target: sourcing more local and seasonal food
Vision: “a huge expansion in allotments and community gardening”
- Target: providing safer walking and cycling routes
Vision: “the ‘school run’ has been replaced by organised school transport or group walking/cycling”
- Target: investing £190 million in public health
Vision: “a much greater emphasis on preventative health care”
- Target: insulating and installing microgen in 40,000 new social housing homes
Vision: “creating Europe’s first ‘low carbon region’”.
The overarching objective is to to transform Wales into “a One Planet nation within the lifetime of a generation”, using only its fair share of resources to sustain its population.
If it can pull it off, Wales is sure to become a leading light in the global sustainability movement – other larger nations (not least next-door- neighbour England) would do well to sit up and pay attention.
Image Credit – phault on flickr
About the Author
Andrew Williams is a writer and freelance journalist specialising in sustainability and green issues. He lives in Cardiff, Wales.
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