A landmark opportunity to protect and restore nature in Wales could fail without crucial targets to save our wildlife, the Future Generations Commissioner is warning, as a new piece of legislation lacks the legal force needed to guarantee long-term action.  

The draft Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, currently under scrutiny in the Senedd, does not include a legally binding target to drive the recovery of nature—a gap that environmental advocates and the commissioner say must be addressed before it is passed. 

On July 17, Future Generations Commissioner Derek Walker will present evidence to the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee as part of the Stage One scrutiny of the Bill. 

Mr Walker is calling for the inclusion of a headline nature recovery target on the face of the legislation, warning that leaving target-setting to future governments could delay urgent action for years. 

The commissioner’s Future Generations Report, published in April, recommends setting a headline target now to drive delivery from day one, provide clarity of purpose, and create a long-term obligation on future governments to continue restoring biodiversity.  

Beloved wildlife is disappearing from Welsh land and waters, and Mr Walker highlights that species abundance—a key indicator of ecosystem health—is in sharp decline in Wales. 

One in six species including water voles are at risk of extinction, and native species like the curlew and Atlantic Salmon are in critical decline, according to the State of Nature Report.  

The commissioner supports a proposal from Wales Environment Link that species abundance be adopted as the headline measure of biodiversity health, with interim and long-term deadlines to track progress. 

The target in law for nature’s recovery should also come with a clear plan of action and long-term funding arrangements. 

Mr Walker said: “A clear, measurable target for nature tells the story of what this law is really about—recovering nature and doing so urgently. 

“Adding a nature recovery target to the law now would be a critical step toward a greener, healthier future for Wales and ensure we are taking all the action to increase nature across every part of Welsh life, whether we’re planning for nature recovery, recreation, food growing or improving our health.  

“Targets create momentum, drive accountability, and ensure that every sector plays a role. Without one, we’re deferring action and leaving nature’s future to chance.  

“There’s already a precedent for this measure elsewhere in the UK. We need to send a message now that nature matters—not just today, but for generations to come.” 

Mr Walker said a nature target would drive collaborative and integrated action towards nature’s recovery in the same way the Net Zero by 2050 target is driving decarbonisation from the public and private sectors. 

Without this target written into the Bill, the process of establishing statutory targets would be left to a future Senedd, with an estimated timeline pushing implementation as far as 2029.  

Campaigners warn this could undermine Wales’ commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. 

Nature’s role in public health and well-being is also part of the case for urgency. Research shows spending time in nature boosts mental and physical wellbeing—and thriving ecosystems are essential for clean air, water, food, and climate resilience. 

In Pembrokeshire, the Outdoor Health Project run by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, connects patients with green spaces to support their recovery, while Llandough Hospital has created therapeutic meadows to enhance healing. The commissioner is also calling for preventative funding in health to be ringfenced. 

Wrexham Council’s tree and woodland strategy uses the Tree Equity Score, a free tool mapping nature such as tree cover, which is at its lowest in disadvantaged areas, while also showing impact from air pollution and heat disparity – the areas that will suffer from the greatest impact of heat and cold. Public bodies can use the tool for planning, while people can check it to see how their area scores for access to nature.  

“When there’s a target, it’s added to the risk register—suddenly, you have a seat at the table. That’s when change really begins to happen,” said Anthony Rogers, Biodiversity Implementation Officer, Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership. 

People are being urged to have their say before the consultation on the Bill closes on July 30, 2025.  

Submissions can be made via the Senedd website.

Carer Karen Steadman turned to sea swimming when she moved to Pembrokeshire to care for her mum, who had a major stroke during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The 55-year-old, originally from Nant-y-moel in Bridgend, was feeling ‘overwhelmed, lonely, isolated and useless’ when she first decided to swim off Tenby’s North Beach on a sunny December in 2020.  

“As soon as the water touched my feet, my breath was taken away and it felt good,” said Karen, who lives in Haverfordwest. “Really cold, but so good, as I eased myself gently into the calm, turquoise water, my partner watching me from the shore.  

“A sense of enormous euphoria went through me in waves. My body felt light and free, no joint pains, no headache, no anxiety, no stress. I had energy, I had hope, I felt powerful and capable, I felt I was no longer pouring from an empty cup.   

“Sea swimming for me is like pressing the reset button. When I got in the sea that day, it restored me to factory settings.”  

While scrolling on Facebook, Karen then discovered Wild Swims Wales, run by Sue Christopher, who has been running beach-based well-being courses for four years.  

Sue has delivered several six-week outdoor health programmes with Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum’s Outdoor Health Project, which ‘prescribes’ nature and the outdoors to people as a form of preventative therapy.  

 Karen said: “Christmas was pretty difficult that year and a Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve dip helped me keep it together.   

“Swimming in the sea helps me to process the difficult times and put them into perspective, enabling me to feel the joyous moments that are also out there.   

“But it all means so much more when done in good company. It’s not just a challenge but a shared experience, whether we’re swearing at waves, supporting a friend through a tough time or tucking into someone’s homemade cake. The warming up process is not just a physical one, we share the warmth of love and friendship.”  

Sue, who is also a volunteer for Mind Pembrokeshire, runs a weekly Tuesday group throughout the year and said she wants to see more opportunities for people to be maintain or improve their health and well-being, in nature.  

She stresses the need for cold water safety, and advises joining an organised group or taking advice before you start. 

She said: “We hear week after week that even after a relatively short time outdoors, people feel more able to cope with whatever is going on in their lives, even though nothing has changed since they arrived for the session.  “The benefit I hear most from participants is that connection with others and nature, being in or near water, brings a natural mindfulness and a resilience and strength that they use in other areas of their life.”  

Karen added: “My life is no easier now than it was then. Some things have settled but new challenges come along all the time. But now I live in Pembrokeshire permanently, I have one major benefit – the sea is there, everywhere I turn. It’s never far away and it is the best medicine I have ever known. I genuinely don’t know where I’d be otherwise.”