Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament
Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, yr Amgylchedd a Seilwaith | Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee
Datgarboneiddio'r sector cyhoeddus | Decarbonising the public sector
Ymateb gan Cymwysterau Cymru | Evidence from Qualifications Wales
It is important that Welsh Government co-ordinate activities across Wales so that the right solutions are found and delivered efficiently, involving all bodies. Leadership, data and planning are critical but understanding what should and can be done is also important and especially so for smaller bodies who do not have internal expertise. Welsh Government should also provide clear advice on the use of public money for offset and co-ordinate any such activity.
This is a good way to prompt public bodies to take action and focus attention. Given the size of the supply chain impact it is important that the private sector also engages and Welsh Government should also consider how best to make this happen.
We are not able to comment – wider sharing of information on progress and successful projects would be welcome
We are not able to comment. Our main interaction with Welsh Government has been in our responses to carbon reporting requirements – it would be good to see the focus move to carbon reduction initiatives
It is worth noting that for some bodies such as ourselves, we rent our building and are limited in what we can do by the approach taken by the landlord. It would be helpful for more ownership to be placed on landlords in the private sector.
We have made contact with our local authority to better understand any local energy generation schemes – but more transparency on this would be helpful to smaller bodies.
There will be a point for some bodies (including ourselves) where we have reduced carbon as much as we can and will need to look at offsetting. There are limited opportunities for this in Wales and UK – options appear to invest in projects across the globe. It would be helpful for Welsh Government to give a clear direction on this, whether Wales schemes are to be set up, whether public money should be spent in this way and if so should this be centrally committed. If it is a matter for individual bodies it would be helpful for schemes to be recommended by Welsh Government.
Decarbonisation is going to have a significant impact across all sectors of our economy, the jobs we do and the ways we work. We already set wellbeing goals and have adopted the Five Ways of Working. We expect to be formally made subject to the Wellbeing Duty from April 2023.
When reviewing and reforming qualifications, we are always mindful of the future skills needs of Wales. This is consistent with our principal aims, and eight matters that we are statutorily required to have regard to, which includes:
• ensuring that qualifications meet the reasonable needs of learners,
• meeting the reasonable requirements of employers, higher education institutions and the professions regarding education and training (including as to required standards of practical competence), and
• promoting sustainable growth in the Welsh economy.
Environmental issues are covered in detail in the content of the new Construction and Built Environment qualifications which are available for learners in schools and colleges in Wales.
More broadly, to align with the Curriculum for Wales, environmental issues have been considered and where appropriate interwoven into the proposed content of a range of qualifications across the AOLEs. For example:
GCSE Food and Nutrition – food provenance and the environmental impact of food production, including the concept of food miles and the carbon footprint of different foods;
GCSE Business – the circular economy and sustainable supply chains, and the environmental impacts of consumerism.
GCSE Engineering – the impact of engineering materials and processes on the environment.