24/08/2026
Now that the dust has settled on the Welsh Government's announcement, which came as Wales battled wildfires, we're seeing mixed reactions.
On Wednesday, cabinet minister Llyr Gruffydd announced the target, which is 10 years earlier than the UK Labour government's 2050 target.
While the news was welcomed by some, they said meaningful action was needed instead of a "repeated shifting" of targets.
Others across the political divide said the goal would risk putting Welsh businesses at a "competitive disadvantage".
Mr Gruffydd also announced the new Plaid administration had started work on Wales' first Climate and Nature Action Plan to address climate change and nature loss.
They said the board will help shape how the Welsh Government addresses climate change and nature loss by looking at things that are already happening as a result of climate change and the growing risks to health, communities, and local economies.
Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth Cymru said they welcomed the target, saying the devastating wildfires seen across Wales in recent weeks proved action was needed to tackle the environmental emergency.
However they cautioned the commitment must translate into "ambitious policies and meaningful action".
A spokesman for Friends of the Earth Cymru said: "The devastating wildfires seen across Wales this summer are a stark warning that the climate and nature crises are already deeply affecting communities across the country.
"From extreme heat and drought to storms and flooding people in Wales are increasingly experiencing the impacts of a changing climate.
"Polling consistently shows that people want governments to act now to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.
"This will lower household bills, improve public health, create greener communities, and help reduce inequality across Wales.
"We now need to see this commitment translated into ambitious policies and meaningful action that delivers real benefits for people, nature, and future generations."
While the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS welcomed ambitious action on climate change she said dates meant very little without a genuine and credible plan to reach them. She added Wales had seen a "repeated shifting" of its net zero target in the past.
Wales' target for hitting net zero, which means adding no more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than are removed, has changed several times.
The previous Labour government published a strategic plan for the public sector to hit net zero by 2030. It also spoke of having a 10-year action pathway for the entire nation from 2025 to 2035 under the 2021 co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru.
Ahead of the 2024 general election Plaid Cymru said it wanted to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Wales by 2035. Then during the Senedd election campaign this year party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said that was unrealistic and pushed it back five years.
Ms Dodds added: "Welsh Liberal Democrats have always backed ambitious action on climate change but we also see the transition as a huge economic opportunity.
"Government should be unlocking private investment, supporting innovation, and creating the conditions for new well-paid green jobs here in Wales. What matters now is a credible plan for delivery – not another target."
However not all of the political parties in the Senedd welcomed the target announcement. Reform UK claimed such targets would cause "huge damage" to the Welsh economy.
A party spokesman said clean energy should be embraced when cost-effective but not pursued while other countries continue to pollute.
They said: "Setting targets like these will cause huge damage to the Welsh economy and heap misery on households struggling with the cost of living crisis.
"While we should embrace clean energy when it is cost-effective we should not be increasing energy bills and choking off growth in the pursuit of net zero while around the world other countries continue to pollute."
Welsh Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies, shadow minister for farming and the environment, described Plaid Cymru's announcement as an "ideological target".
Mr RT Davies said that implementing it 10 years ahead of the rest of the UK would risk putting Welsh businesses and workers at a "competitive disadvantage".
He added: "The Welsh Government must be honest about the economic costs of this ambition, which would kill off economic growth and make people in Wales poorer.
"We should follow the evidence and support practical, affordable decarbonisation instead of pursuing ideological targets that could drive businesses, investment, and jobs out of Wales."
