Lessons from 10 years of Climate Actions in Wales

The talk will explore Wales's innovative and holistic approach to addressing climate change, focusing on the country's proactive legislative framework. The Welsh Government was the first national government to declare a climate emergency in 2019 and the first country to legally embed the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals through the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. In our recent publication (Yorke et al., 2025), we examined the successes and ongoing challenges of implementing climate initiatives, such as the establishment of Public Services Boards (PSBs) to foster cross-sector collaboration and the use of place-based solutions that engage communities. This talk will cover our findings, but also address specific, controversial policies like the 20 mph speed limit and the Sustainable Farming Scheme to illustrate the complexities of public engagement and policy roll-out. Finally, we will consider whether Wales's model offers a valuable blueprint for broader adoption, highlighting the importance of sustained, inclusive communication and meaningful community involvement for future success.

Keynote speaker: Dr Lynda Yorke

This will be delivered through the medium of English.