Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change (Welsh: Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Newid Hinsawdd) is a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Huw Irranca-Davies since March 2024.

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change of Wales
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Newid Hinsawdd (Welsh)
Incumbent Huw Irranca-Davies MS since 21 March 2024 (2024-03-21)
Welsh Government
Style	Welsh Cabinet Secretary
Status	Cabinet Secretary
Abbreviation	Secretary
Member of	Senedd Cabinet
Reports to	the Senedd and the First Minister of Wales
Seat	Cardiff
Nominator	First Minister of Wales
Appointer	The Crown
Term length	Five years Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every five years
First holder	Julie James MS
Website	gov.wales/huw-irranca-davies-ms

Ministers

Name		Picture	Entered office	Left office	Other offices held	Political party	Government
Minister for Climate Change
	Julie James		13 May 2021	20 March 2024		Labour	Second Drakeford government	[1][2]
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change
	Huw Irranca-Davies		21 March 2024	Incumbent		Labour	Gething government	[3]

Responsibilities

See also: Politics of Wales and 2021 Senedd election

The post's responsibilities are:^[4]

• Climate change, natural resources and energy responsibilities
  • Marine and freshwater planning, biodiversity, conservation and licensing
  • Ensuring land policy is used optimally and most versatile, advise on the restoration of mineral sites, Agricultural Land Classification and implementing EIA (Agriculture) Regulations
  • Energy policy, which includes small and medium-scale energy production, domestic energy and energy efficiency
  • Renewable energy in Wales
  • Climate change, addressed with carbon budgets and emission reduction targets
  • Natural resources management, including oversight and implementation of the Environment (Wales) Act, as well as overseeing Natural Resources Wales
  • Cross-cutting mitigation and adaption measures relating to climate change, including the involvement of water, flooding (and coastal) risk, land drainage, and controlling marine and air pollution.
  • Coal tip safety in Wales
  • Water
  • Forestry policy and legislation, including restocking and the monitoring of the health of trees, and "forest reproductive material"
  • National Forest for Wales
  • Biodiversity policy, including the Nature Recovery Plan's implementation
  • Sustainable use of resources, and waste management
  • Managing the quality of the local environment, including litter, fly-tipping, the Deposit Return Scheme, noise policy and regulation
  • National Parks
  • Leading allotment and urban green infrastructure strategy
  • Community Green Spaces
  • Countryside, coast, right of way, and waterways/water bodies access
  • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty^[5]

See also

• Wales portal

• Government of Wales

• Ministry