Minutes

Proposed venue: Siambr Hywel - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Marc Wyn Jones 

Expected timing: Private 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of the meeting of the Expert Reference Group on Climate Change

Minutes:

Climate Change Expert Reference Group

Minutes of meeting on the 22 May 2017 – Tŷ Hywel, Cardiff Bay

Actions

Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs (CCERA) Committee clerking team to draft letter to Welsh Government, on behalf of the Group, to ask what the Government plans to do on climate change.

CCERA Committee clerking team to ask UK Committee on Climate Change for technical briefing and invite representatives to a future meeting of the Climate Change Expert Reference Group (the Group).

CCERA Committee clerking team to ask the Welsh Government when it is planning to publish the advice from the UK Committee on climate change.

CCERA Committee clerking team to request information on qualitative targets from the Welsh Government.

Group members to put names forward to the Chair, if they wish to be part of the data task and finish group.

CCERA Committee clerking team to circulate framework/proforma to help Group members frame questions.

Group members to contact the Chair with suggested topics and questions for the CCERA Committee to ask the Cabinet Secretary in Committee scrutiny later this year.

Introduction and apologies

1.                Apologies were received from Martin Bishop, Mari Arthur, Steve Brooks, Professor Gareth Wyn-Jones and Professor Calvin Jones

Election of a Chair

2.                Keith Jones (KJ) was elected Chair of the Group. KJ introduced himself to the Group.

Update from the Future Generations Commissioner’s office (FGCo)

3.                Eurgain Powell (EP), from the Future Generations Commissioner’s office (FGCo), gave an update on its work. Her update focused on four areas:

- The FGCo’s purpose and policy priorities.

- Work with the Welsh Government’s Carbonisation team.

- Work on transport and the environment.

- Work on well-being assessments.

4.                EP agreed to provide further information to the Group on several issues. A separate paper has been provided to the Group.

Discussion of paper on timelines and targets

5.                Jess McQuade (JM) and Haf Elgar (HE) introduced a discussion paper.

6.                JM talked about the need for a shared understanding of WG policy and commitments on climate change. She suggested that the group could use the targets and milestones in the paper as a basis for planning how it could best support the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs (CCERA) Committee to scrutinise the Welsh Government.

7.                It was noted that a considerable amount of relevant policy is not devolved and is subject to change at a UK level. HE said that it is about how Wales benefits within non-devolved areas. JM mentioned that there have been announcements about policies/programmes with a climate change dimension but there’s no central point to hold all this information together.

8.                During the discussion, it was suggested that the Group establish a list of actions, based either on opportunities to influence WG, or by the legal framework and what needs to be done to hold WG to account.

9.                Several other issues were raised during discussions, including:

- Scrutiny of WG should be based on the five ways of working.

- There needs to be a better understanding of the metrics the Welsh Government will be using and the baseline figures being worked from. Several group members also raised questions about the information the Welsh Government is using as a basis for its policies, including projections to 2050.

- There would be an opportunity for stakeholders to respond to a Welsh Government consultation on its low carbon delivery plan.

- The Group should agree a clear methodology on which to base its monitoring work.

- The Group could seek not only to critique whether targets are being achieved, but to influence the setting of targets. The UK Committee on Climate Change will be advising WG on this issue in the autumn so that will present an opportunity for the Group to get involved.

- The 2050 target had been set in the Environment Act, which includes provision for that target to be reviewed.

- It was suggested that Mission 2020’s global development goals could be used as a resource.

- It was noted that the UK Committee on Climate Change carried out a review into the impact of climate change across the UK and Welsh Government will integrate this into its work. The Group agreed to hear directly from the UK Committee.

Discussion of future work

10.            The Clerk reminded the Group that it can obtain data from WG via the CCERA Committee. He also mentioned that the Committee’s annual climate change scrutiny will be taking place at the end of October/beginning of November and that the Group’s work should inform that process. The Group agreed to prepare a report to the CCERA Committee, suggesting areas it may wish to focus on in its session with the Cabinet Secretary (Lesley Griffiths).

11.            The Group agreed to prepare proposals for questions for the annual scrutiny session in advance of its next meeting, based on a template provided by the secretariat.  

12.            The Group agreed to invite a representative of the UK Committee on Climate Change to attend its next meeting.

13.            It was agreed that members of the Group would form a sub-group to consider data.

 

Date of next meeting

14.            It was suggested that the next meeting should take place in September. The date would be confirmed shortly.