This year’s Environment Strategy Annual Report was launched by Environment and Sustainability Minister, Jane Davidson yesterday (Monday, 15 November) in the grounds of Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil.
The event was hosted by the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council who have been working over the past 12 months to engage with the community, employees and community organisations. Their Family Employment Initiative is one of many examples of partnership working featured in the annual report.
After the launch of the Annual Report, the Minister visited the Wildwoods Centre and met volunteers involved in creating new footpaths around the building, painting the interior and exterior to make it accessible to the local community.
The Minister said:
“Across Wales there are countless projects being run by our partners to improve our environment. And meeting groups and individuals like these here in Merthyr, who are passionate about improving their local environment, is inspiring.
“We all know that the environment plays a key role in our health and future happiness. It gives us pleasure and excitement and embodies our sense of place and identity.
“This year’s annual report is full of examples of where the Assembly Government, working in partnership with stakeholders, is meeting the aims of its Environmental Strategy.
“I recognise the challenges for our environment, but our understanding of the key pressures is clearer now than it has ever been and the measures we have to respond to these challenges, through our programmes on biodiversity, climate change and waste, give me confidence that we will succeed in achieving our Environment Strategy outcomes.”
