On Wednesday 17 September, as part of the Act Now, Change Forever campaign, almost 300 people, including several from Eco Churches, gathered at the Urdd Gobaith Cymru Centre, next to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. We were there to show that we care about nature and climate change here in Wales, as well as globally.
The sound, energy and bustle of conversations overflowed from the room set aside for the event. Banners with key messages hung from the balcony, and the information tables of nature charities and other NGOs were busy and colourful. One particular highlight was a presentation by a primary school explaining their ‘Deforestation Free’ journey. A Size of Wales project, Deforestation Free Nation, is calling for Wales to become the world’s first Deforestation Free Nation. This primary school has changed their canteen menu and procurement practices and time-warped us to 2045 where ‘ … [there are] birds, trees and clean air everywhere’ and ‘people, animals and nature are healthy now’.
Nineteen of the 60 Members of the Senedd were there, with 16 of them meeting their constituents. The Environment Bill was a major topic of discussion. Currently, it’s at stage one of its journey through the legislature – the aim is to have it finalised by April 2026. This will legally oblige the Welsh Government to act for nature and puts biodiversity on a more equal footing with climate change. The bill needs strengthening in places, but those who gathered left the politicians in no doubt that this is a crucial piece of legislation. If you live in Wales, it’s not too late to tell your Member of the Senedd why you think this is important. If you’re not sure how to do this, you can find your Member of the Senedd here. This legislation fills a governance gap created by our departure from the EU and must be finalised before the Senedd elections next May. Let’s pray that this happens.
Andy Atkins, A Rocha UK’s CEO, shares, ‘This was a significant moment to hold this event, in the run up to November’s UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, where a key aim is to galvanise much more effective global action to halt and turn around deforestation, a major contributor to climate change and species loss.
Delyth is Eco Church Officer for Wales at A Rocha UK. She worships as part of her local Baptist church. Previously, she worked with Renew Wales, both as a local coordinator and then as Communications Officer. Before that, she worked in various community development and environmental community engagement roles in the Swansea area for nearly 15 years.
