The Welsh Government has promised to introduce legislation to make sure Wales improves its air pollution.

The Government has announced its intention to introduce a series of major environmentally-focussed legislative measures, including the introduction of a new Clean Air Bill.

A Single Use Plastics Bill, banning or restricting items such as plastic straws, a Coal Tip Safety Bill, which will help safeguard disused tips, an Agriculture Bill to reform farming support and encourage more businesses to protect the environment, and an Infrastructure Consenting Bill, streamlining planning for large projects, will also be developed, repots Ai/r Quality News.

“The climate emergency is very much with us. We will introduce five important Bills, which will help to protect our environment, improve the quality of the air we breathe and stop so much plastic polluting our beautiful land and seascape,” said Mr Drakeford.

“We have a packed legislative agenda ahead of us as we lay the building blocks towards the Wales we want to see. To deliver it we will continue to work across the Chamber to make sure our legislation is the best it can be and improves the lives of all the people of Wales,” he continued. 

The announcement has been welcomed by campaigners, who have been applying pressure amid frustrations that 14 months after the last Welsh General Election, in which every party promised a Clean Air Bill, no concrete proposals had been made as to what shape that would take. Work will begin on the bill during the next year of the Sennedd, 2022-2023. 

Last year, the Welsh Government unveiled plans for a new electric vehicle charging network, and a Metro transport system, both aimed at cutting emissions.