Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill

A Welsh Government Bill, introduced by Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, in June 2025. The Business Committee has remitted the Bill to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee.

About the Bill

The aim of the environmental principles provisions is to establish a robust framework for environmental governance in Wales. This framework seeks to addresses three core challenges: combating the combined impact of climate and nature emergencies, protecting the environment from harm, and responding to changes in environmental governance structures following the UK's departure from the EU.

The key purposes of the Bill are to:

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>>>Establish certain environmental principles and an environmental objective. It will require the Welsh Ministers and NRW, when making policy, and certain other public authorities, when carrying out environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004 (or any corresponding provision replacing those Regulations), to apply the principles, and to integrate environmental protection.

>>>Establish an independent environmental governance body, the Office of Environmental Governance Wales (“the OEGW”) to provide strategic oversight of requirements on public authorities to: comply with environmental law; make effective environmental law; implement / apply environmental law effectively; and to hold those public authorities to account, in a similar way to the Office for Environmental Protection established by the Environment Act 2021.

>>>Amend the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 to establish a biodiversity target setting framework aimed at halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity in Wales, as well as imposing a duty on the Welsh Ministers to promote awareness in Wales of the importance of, and the threats to, biodiversity.

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Further details about the Bill (PDF 413KB) can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 2.2MB).

Current Stage

BillStagePost4

The Bill is currently at Post Stage 4. An explanation of the various stages of Senedd Bills is available in the Guide to the Stages of Public Bills and Acts.

Record of Passage in the Welsh Parliament

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.

¬¬¬Post-Stage 4

The Counsel General (PDF 184KB) and the Secretary of State for Wales (PDF 123KB) wrote to the Llywydd to advise that they would not be referring the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill to the Supreme Court under Sections 112 and 114 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 – 11 March 2026 and 16 March 2026.

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¬¬¬Stage 4, vote by the Senedd to pass the final text of the Bill (24 February 2026)

Stage 4 proceedings of the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill took place in Plenary on Tuesday 24 February 2026.

Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, as passed (PDF 461KB)

Presiding Officer’s statement in accordance with Section 111A(3) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (PDF 154KB)

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¬¬¬Stage 3, Plenary consideration of amendments (12 December 2025 - 10 February 2026)

Following the completion of Stage 2 proceedings, Stage 3 commenced on 12 December 2025. The Senedd agreed on 3 February 2026, under Standing Order 26.36, that the order of consideration for Stage 3 proceedings would be:

Sections 1-8; Schedule 1; Sections 9-11; Schedule 2; Sections 12-30; Schedule 3; Sections 31-45; Schedule 4; Sections 46-47; Long Title.

Stage 3 proceedings took place in Plenary on Tuesday 10 February 2026.

Notice of Amendments - 16 December 2025 (PDF 111KB)

Notice of Amendments - 21 January 2026 (PDF 133KB) v3

Notice of Amendments - 26 January 2026 (PDF 93KB)

Notice of Amendments - 27 January 2026 (PDF 96KB) v2

Notice of Amendments - 29 January 2026 (PDF 82KB)

Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table - 30 January 2026 (PDF 309KB)

Notice of Amendments - 2 February 2026 (PDF 140KB)

Notice of Amendments - 3 February 2026 (PDF 98KB)

Marshalled List of Amendments - 3 February 2026 (PDF 243KB) v2

Grouping of Amendments - 5 February 2026 (PDF 94KB) v2

Revised Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment - 3 February 2026 (PDF 2.4MB)

Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3 (PDF 467KB) (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the left margin.)

Stage 3 correspondence:

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>>>Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Llywydd in relation to the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill - Minister of the Crown consent - 3 February 2026 (PDF 176KB)

>>>Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Chair in relation to the Revised Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment - 3 February 2026 (PDF 208KB)

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¬¬¬Stage 2, Committee consideration of amendments (12 November 2025 - 11 December 2025)

Stage 2 began on 12 November 2025. The deadline for tabling amendments is five working days before the date of the meeting at which they are due to be considered.

The Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee agreed on 20 November 2025, under Standing Order 26.21, that the order of consideration for Stage 2 proceedings would be:

Sections 1-8; Schedule 1; Sections 9-10; Schedule 2; Sections 11-28; Schedule 3; Sections 29-43; Schedule 4; Sections 44-45; Long Title.

Stage 2 consideration took place in Committee on 11 December 2025.

Notice of Amendments - 26 November 2025 (PDF 91KB)

Notice of Amendments - 27 November 2025 (v2) (PDF 276KB)

Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table - 1 December 2025 (PDF 404KB)

Notice of Amendments - 1 December 2025 (final) (PDF 206KB)

Notice of Amendments - 3 December 2025 (PDF 116KB)

Notice of Amendments - 4 December 2025 (PDF 79KB)

Marshalled List of Amendments - 4 December 2025 (PDF 420KB)

Grouping of Amendments - 5 December 2025 (PDF 100KB)

Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2 (PDF 462KB) Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the left margin.

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¬¬¬Financial resolution

In accordance with Standing Order 26.68 the Presiding Officer indicated that a financial resolution was required for this Bill. Further information about financial resolutions is available in section 3 of the Guide to the scrutiny stages for Public Bills.

A Financial Resolution in relation to the Bill was agreed in Plenary on 11 November 2025.

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¬¬¬Stage 1, Committee consideration of the general principles (2 June 2025 – 11 November 2025)

A debate took place in Plenary on 11 November 2025. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.

The Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee considered its approach to Stage 1 consideration on 4 June 2025.

Committee dates

The Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
4 June 2025	Consideration of approach to Stage 1 scrutiny	Private	Private
26 June 2025	Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs	Transcript	View meeting
9 July 2025	Evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
17 July 2025	Evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
18 September 2025	Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs	Transcript	View meeting

The Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee laid its report on 24 October 2025 (PDF 2542KB). The Welsh Government responded on 14 November 2025 (PDF 638 KB).

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
30 June 2025	Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs	Transcript	View meeting

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee laid its report (PDF 2.0MB) on 24 October 2025. The Welsh Government responded (PDF 245KB) on 14 November 2025.

The Finance Committee considered the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda

Purpose of meeting

Transcript

Senedd.TV

2 July 2025

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government

Transcript

View meeting

The Finance Committee laid its report on 21 October 2025 (PDF 337KB). The Welsh Government responded to the report on 31 October 2025 (PDF 226KB).

Stage 1 correspondence:

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