Earlier this year the Welsh Government published proposals for a new environmental governance body and to enshrine a set of environmental principles and biodiversity targets in law. Although a welcome move, important details are yet to be clarified and the slow action on it to date is seriously worrying.

On 26 June, the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, will appear before the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee. While the session will scrutinise the Cabinet Secretary’s entire and varied brief, this is a timely opportunity to check progress on the new governance body.

The Welsh Government’s evidence paper for the scrutiny session provides a brief update on the work of the interim environmental protection assessor for Wales, and on the white paper on environmental principles, governance and biodiversity targets. This states that analysis of consultation responses and a consultation report are underway, and that a policy response will be published before the summer recess. Officials will also work on the supporting bill documentation, including the regulatory impact assessment.

There are many policy questions where greater clarification from the Welsh Government would be helpful, but there are three issues of significant public interest on which the committee could usefully interrogate the Cabinet Secretary.