NRM Environment Bill Presentation - Climate Change

1. Natural resource management
and Climate Change
21st November 2013
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2. Environment Bill
What is the aim of the Bill?
•To provide a modern statutory framework for the sustainable
management of natural resources by legislating for a more
joined-up and proactive process.
•To put in place the governance to ensure we use and
manage Wales’ natural resources in a way which will deliver
lasting economic and social benefits as well as environmental.
•To deliver better outcomes for Wales by helping to strip away
unnecessary complexity and simplifying processes
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3. Environment Bill
How will this aim be achieved?
Proposals in the White Paper are organised under 4 main themes:
•Theme 1 will join-up the existing statutory frameworks for
natural resource planning and management in Wales.
•Theme 2 will ensure NRW has the legislative tools to help
enable them to implement integrated natural resource
management.
•Theme 3 will take actions to ensure Wales’ natural resources
are used to best effect and reduce waste.
•Theme 4 will simplify, streamline and clarify the law for a
number of existing environmental regulatory regimes.
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4. The emerging policy landscape in Wales
Long-Term National
Outcomes
State of Natural
Resources Report
Marine Spatial
Plan
National Natural
Resources Policy
National Development
Framework?
Area Based Natural Resource Planning
(Area based approach, and Area Statements)
National Park
& AONB
Management
Plans
Local
Development
Plans
Single
Delivery Plans
Permitting, Licensing,
Regulation
Glastir
RDP
Flood Strategy
Forest DPs
SAC plans
Marine
Licensing
RBMP
Integrated
Coastal Zone
management
Regional Planning
Strategies
Town & Country
Planning Development
Management

5. Environment Bill
Proposal: National Natural Resource Policy
• This proposal is to ensure that the key opportunities, trends
and priorities for the sustainable management of natural
resources are clearly set out on a national basis.
• It will form the direction of travel for all natural resource policy
in Wales, including the social and economic impacts on, and
opportunities from, natural resources.
• It will be owned, agreed and published by Welsh Ministers.
• It must consider the impacts of climate change on the
management of natural resources, and the role that natural
resources can play to help mitigate and adapt to those effects
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6. Environment Bill
Proposal: NRW - Area-based approach
• The intention is to place a duty on NRW to develop and implement
an area-based approach for the sustainable management of natural
resources
• This means providing a clear communication of the priorities,
objectives and collective actions required within a given area for the
sustainable management of natural resources.
• It will provide clarity for stakeholders and other delivery bodies in
relation to where opportunities, risks and challenges for the
management of natural resources exist.
• It must consider the impacts of climate change on the management
of natural resources, and the role that natural resources can play to
help mitigate and adapt to those effects
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7. Environment Bill
Proposal: Natural Resource Management – Duties on
other bodies
• The intention is to unify planning and priority setting processes for
natural resource management
• There is proposed duty on other public bodies to cooperate, share
information, jointly plan and jointly report on the management of
natural resources (…including climate change!)
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8. Environment Bill
We would welcome input on:
• Is embedding climate change adaptation planning into natural
resource management the right approach to implementing our
Natural Environment SAP?
• What specific issues (UK climate projections, national risk
assessment) must be taken into account if we are to fulfil that
requirement?
• Are NRW the appropriate body to be leading on the planning and
priority setting for natural environment adaptation planning?
• What other tools, techniques and requirements on others may we
need to consider ?
• What specifically would need to be included on the face of the bill or
as statutory guidance to ensure the action we want happens?
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9. Options for delivery
Environment Bill
• “On the face of the Bill” – this gives absolute certainty, but can be restrictive in
terms of providing flexibility
• Details included in a Schedule – this is no different from the above except the
detail is set out in a separate part of the legislation
• WM given powers to issue Orders / Directions – this means that the process can
be clearly set out in secondary legislation. Easier to update, but NRW / other
bodies must follow orders.
• WM given powers to issue Guidance – this is similar to the above, but NRW /
other bodies can choose to ignore guidance
• Process to be set out in writing and approved by Welsh Ministers – this allows
NRW / other bodies to design the process, but is still rigid in that it must then
follow the process as approved
• Nothing specified – this gives most flexibility, but least clarity around what it is
expected to do.
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10. Options for delivery
Environment Bill
• “On the face of the Bill” – this gives absolute certainty, but can be restrictive in
terms of providing flexibility
• Details included in a Schedule – this is no different from the above except the
detail is set out in a separate part of the legislation
• WM given powers to issue Orders / Directions – this means that the process can
be clearly set out in secondary legislation. Easier to update, but NRW / other
bodies must follow orders.
• WM given powers to issue Guidance – this is similar to the above, but NRW /
other bodies can choose to ignore guidance
• Process to be set out in writing and approved by Welsh Ministers – this allows
NRW / other bodies to design the process, but is still rigid in that it must then
follow the process as approved
• Nothing specified – this gives most flexibility, but least clarity around what it is
expected to do.
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