2026 elections in Wales: what are the parties saying on climate and nature?
See how our experts assessed the main parties’ green policies.
On 7th May, there are elections across Wales for seats in the Senedd. So what have all the political parties promised to do to tackle the climate and nature emergency in Wales? Greenpeace has analysed the manifestos and provided this helpful guide ahead of polling day.
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Who should I vote for?
There is a new voting system in place in Wales ahead of the 2026 Senedd election. Voters will have one vote to choose a political party (or an independent) under a closed proportional list system. This means seats are allocated based on the share of votes each party or independent candidate gets: if a party wins enough of the vote to gain six seats, the top six candidates on their list are elected. There are 16 areas or constituencies in Wales and each of these constituencies will elect six Members of the Senedd.
How you decide to vote depends on what matters most to you. We’ve produced a summary of each of the manifestos to break down some of the key commitments each party has made on nature and climate.
Parties’ strengths and weaknesses
| POLICY AREA | TOP SCORING PARTIES |
|---|---|
| Climate and energy | ![Plaid Party Logo](/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/plaid-icon.png"){kind=icon} Plaid Cymru |
| Homes and transport | Plaid Cymru,  Labour |
| Justice and democracy | Plaid Cymru |
| Nature and the environment | Plaid Cymru,  Green Party |
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Party manifestos
See the best and worst bits of the manifestos. Where did each party deliver, and where did they fall short?
Conservative Party
Strengths
- Some improvements to buses and rail, including electrification of North Wales Main Line and free travel on buses and trains for young people but alongside extensive plans for more cars and scrapping speed limits.
- Commitments to invest in flood defenses.
Weaknesses
- No climate commitments or targets to reduce emissions or tackle biodiversity loss.
- A ban on ‘industrial-scale’ solar and wind farms.
- Nothing to upgrade homes or address fuel poverty.
- Nothing on tackling sewage spills or improving water quality in rivers and the sea.
Greenpeace analysis: Poor, sloppy and stuck in the past
Not a great offer from the Welsh Conservatives, while they haven’t explicitly vowed to scrap net zero in this manifesto, unlike their Westminster pals, there are no targets or plans to lower emissions. There are no commitments or targets to tackle biodiversity loss. No mention at all of tackling the sewage crisis or ocean protection. And the Conservatives set out plans to scrap the Sustainable Farming Scheme. Once proud to call themselves the ‘Party of Business’, the Conservatives in Wales are closing their eyes to the renewable energy revolution which is happening not just in Wales, but around the world. Not only is there no plan for transitioning workers into green jobs, but there are also no plans for upgrading homes across Wales to bring down energy bills by making homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. This manifesto is stuck in the past and lacks detail throughout. A disappointing and sloppy offer from the Welsh Conservatives.
Green Party
Strengths
- Commitments to upgrade homes through insulation, ventilation and heat pumps, making them cheaper to heat in winter and cooler in the summer.
- Strong proposals for active travel and electrification of public transport while improving services, accessibility and price.
- Commitment to restore at least 30% of nature on land and sea by the end of the decade.
Weaknesses
- No explicit mention of a date to reach net zero.
- Nothing on phasing out non-essential single-use plastics.
Greenpeace analysis: Light on details, but strong on ideas
A good manifesto for climate and nature from the Welsh Greens. The Welsh Greens have a strong offer to improve and expand public transport as well as active travel, and policies to ensure the people of Wales benefit from community energy projects and better insulated homes. The manifesto commits to a ban on fossil fuel extraction and plans to deliver 100% of Wales’ electricity demand through renewables by 2030, but notably absent from the manifesto was a commitment to deliver net zero by a specified date. There are particularly strong policies to halt biodiversity loss and restore nature in Wales, both on land and at sea, including detailed commitments on sustainable food production working alongside a land use strategy to balance needs. There is also an explicit commitment to transition away from the use of harmful pesticides and fossil-fuel derived fertilisers. All in all, the manifesto is slightly light on targets and details of funding, but there are good policies here.
Labour Party
Strengths
- Commitments to upgrade and invest in public transport, including new bus routes, investment in rail upgrades, and a cap on bus fares.
- A strong climate plan, including a target to generate 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2035 and energy efficiency upgrades for more than 100,000 homes.
- Commitments to reduce agricultural pollution, clean up rivers and seas, and restore nature – including recommitting to the international target to restore nature by the end of the decade.
Weaknesses
- Lacking funding or targets for sustainable, nature-friendly farming, and no commitment to phase out the use of toxic chemicals on farms.
- No mention of human rights at all.
Greenpeace analysis: A solid pitch on climate and nature
This is a strong offering on climate and nature from Welsh Labour. There are solid plans and targets for the rollout of renewable energy, including plans to increase community owned energy. This manifesto takes the climate emergency seriously and sets out clear plans to invest in public transport, cap bus fares and upgrade our homes to lower emissions and costs. Welsh Labour have also committed to set binding targets to restore nature and boost sustainable food production. However, they have not set any targets for eliminating the use of pesticides or fertilisers on farms which are destroying biodiversity, harming our health, and causing toxic run-off into waterways.
Liberal Democrats
Strengths
- Strongest policies are on nature-friendly and sustainable farming.
- Robust commitments to legislate against sewage dumping.
Weaknesses
- No commitment to deliver net zero by a specific date.
- Weak commitments on restoring nature.
- Nothing on community energy ownership or benefits, other than through zonal pricing.
Greenpeace analysis: Surprisingly disappointing
A disappointing manifesto for climate and nature from the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The manifesto makes no mention of achieving net zero by a specific date, or setting targets for renewable energy delivery. There are no policies to expand community ownership of energy projects in Wales or to ensure communities benefit from renewable energy developments. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will legislate against sewage dumping to improve water quality, yet have not committed to strong policies to restore biodiversity or protect the ocean. They have set a commitment to “double nature in Wales by 2050”, but this is a weak target and they do not set out what this would mean in practice, or the policies necessary to deliver it. There are strong commitments to improve sustainable farming in Wales, backed up by an extra £50 million per year, but no mention of tackling agricultural pollution and run-off which is harming land, water and wildlife.
Plaid Cymru
Strengths
- Strong and prominent proposals to increase renewables through investment and planning reforms, ensuring the benefits are felt by people in Wales, as well as community owned energy projects.
- Commitments to upgrade homes to make them more energy efficient.
- Strong proposals to support flood resilience, including nature-based solutions.
- Strong ambition to reduce sewage spills and water pollution, especially the inclusion of the polluter pays principle.
- Commitment to a Deposit Return Scheme and a plan to phase out unnecessary single-use plastics.
Weaknesses
- Commitment to the Sustainable Farming Scheme but no mention of the need to phase out fertilisers and pesticides.
- No dates, targets or details of funding for electric vehicle charging expansion and vehicle electrification plans.
Greenpeace analysis: Some serious, exciting plans
A strong and comprehensive set of policies to deliver on climate and nature for Wales. Plaid Cymru are the only party in Wales to set a target to deliver net zero in Wales by 2040, and the only party to commit to phasing out unnecessary single-use plastics. Plaid have set out plans to deliver an integrated transport system which works for both people and the planet, rather than shareholder profits; they have planned for a transition to a greener future which ensures workers are not only protected but also given opportunities to grow and be part of building their vision for a prosperous Wales through renewable energy. Plaid has also mandated that renewable energy projects must return a 15-25% stake for local communities. More work is needed to ensure the use of toxic fertilisers and pesticides on farms are phased out, in line with supporting nature-friendly farming. But all in all, this is a well thought-through manifesto. If properly implemented, these policies could see Wales become the climate and nature champion of the UK.
Reform UK
Strengths
- Investment in flood defences and legislation to address sewage discharge.
Weaknesses
- Scrapping all climate commitments, including banning new solar farms and onshore wind.
- Ending plans and investment to make homes warmer, greener and more efficient.
- There are no plans to protect and restore nature, and commitments to repeal environmental legislation if it is deemed to “undermine growth”.
Greenpeace analysis: Dangerous nonsense
The plan from Reform Wales is dangerous for the climate, for nature and for the economy. While there are commitments to address sewage discharge, these are completely meaningless when the manifesto also promises to rip up regulations to protect nature that will likely lead to more agricultural pollution in our waterways. The same is true of Reform’s commitment to invest in flood defences. Flooding is getting worse every year in places like Wales because of the climate crisis, but Reform wants to see us hooked on volatile fossil fuels, while ditching all climate commitments and banning renewable energy like onshore wind and solar farms. Welsh Reform’s approach to farming is to introduce production base-line targets for beef, lamb and dairy – effectively incentivising industrial scale agriculture at the cost of both small-scale family farmers and the environment. This manifesto reads like a rant against anything which could be deemed environmentally-friendly.
How did Greenpeace produce this guide?
To produce this guide, we first created a list of the 15 most important things the Senedd could do for climate and nature. These are separated into four main areas: climate and energy; homes and transport; justice and democracy; and nature and the environment.
We used this list to compare the commitments in each party’s manifesto. See the full criteria and detailed analysis here.
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