Go Wales

We ran the follow up session to Hay on Earth a couple of weeks back, and as part of the re-gathering, collected thoughts from the 20 or so participants about what's been happening in Wales in the six months since Hay. Quite a lot, it would appear.

• 2011 commitment to zero carbon residential housing is a whole lot closer
• There's a National Energy Savings consultation going on
• Wales' 3% CO2 reduction target, in areas of develoved competence, will be linked to the UK Govt's Climate Committee targets in December
• WAG are playing their part in developing the European Community Renewables strategy
• There's a new ad campaign and media work on climate change
• Wales' new SD scheme, One Wales, One Planet,  is out to consultation, with ace facilitator Steve Bather at the controls of the public feedback process.
• There's also consultation on a 70% waste recycling target, and commitment to kerbside waste food collection
• Wales' new Green Jobs Strategy is also out to consultation
• There's also a consultation (you could spend half a lifetime reading these) on Axis 2 of the Rural Development Plan for Wales
• The Sustainable Travel Towns initiative is developing in Wales, to 'rethink the disposition of towns'
• Friends of the Earth's Low Carbon Communities is alive and well, with CO2 reduction targets of 40% by 2020
• WWF's are continuing their excellent work on One Planet Wales, with further projects on food, transport and homes.
• There's a new UNDP cooperation programme between Wales and Uganda
• The Convergence-funded Business Dragons programme is taking shape (with a big need to refocus on real targets and energy security)
• There will be a big Welsh sustainability presence at the Smithsonian Institute's annual Folk Fair in Washington DC in June / July next year. TYF will be present to talk through the adventures of sustainability
• The Hay Festival team are starting to organise a UNESCO sustainability festival for 180 countries, due to take place in September 09
• The Wales Transition Network is flourishing with new communities signing up monthly
• There are strong sustainability appraisals in some of the new LDPs, particularly in SE Wales
• Lastly, there's discussion about whether Wales becomes a UN Regional Centre of Expertise on SD

Phew.