The White Paper on a Clean Air (Wales) Bill outlines Welsh Government’s plans to improve air quality and reduce the impacts of air pollution on human health, biodiversity, the natural environment and the economy.
Welsh Government intends for the Bill to enable delivery on commitments identified within the Clean Air Plan for Wales: Healthy Air, Healthy Wales. This White Paper presents proposals for the Bill before drafting legislation.
The White Paper itself is vague but the references to the Clean Air Plan for Wales are cause for concern. Within this document the following “Farming based solutions” are listed.
- Giving farmers up-to-date advice on how to lower ammonia emissions.
- Supporting them to farm sustainably through a new payment scheme.
- Introducing new legislation (when advice and support are unlikely to reach the same outcome).
The Clean Air Plan for Wales can be found here:
gov.wales/sites/default/files/publicatio...ir-healthy-wales.pdf
The consultation closed on 7th April 2021 and the FUW response can be viewed here.