A landscape photograph of a puffin on a cliffside above the sea.

A landscape photograph of a puffin on a cliffside above the sea.

Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill: resources page

Published 03/06/2025

The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill was introduced into the Senedd on Monday 2 June 2025.

This page compiles key Senedd Research publications to support scrutiny of the Bill. It will be updated as the Bill makes its way through the Senedd’s legislative process

You can follow the Bill’s progress on the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill webpage. This includes the Bill itself and the Explanatory Memorandum, which includes Explanatory Notes and a Regulatory Impact Assessment.

Select a category:

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Environmental objective and principles
The Office of Environmental Governance Wales
Biodiversity targets
General

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Section 1

Section 1 of the Bill establishes the “environmental objective”. It is defined as the attainment of a high level of environmental protection and an improvement of the environment, with a view, in particular to:

- meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and contributing to achieving the well-being goals in section 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015;

- maintaining and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they provide;

- mitigating and adapting to climate change; and

- contributing to halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity.

Senedd Research publications on the Bill
  • Senedd Research Bilingual Glossary. Provides a list of technical and novel terms used in the Bill. It is intended to support bilingual scrutiny.
  • Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill:Bill Summary
Senedd Research publications providing background reading

Article by Dr Matthew Sutton and Dr Katy Orford, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament