Public Services Board Partners Launch New Charter to Tackle Climate and Nature Emergencies
The Vale of Glamorgan Public Services Board (PSB) has launched a new Charter, addressing the urgent need to tackle the intertwined crises of climate change and nature loss together.
Healthy ecosystems capture carbon, reduce flood risks, and support biodiversity, while degraded habitats release carbon and worsen climate change.
Recognising that one cannot be solved without the other, the new Charter outlines the PSB’s latest commitments to cut emissions while restoring ecosystems, ensuring a resilient future for both people and wildlife.
Building on previous efforts to reduce environmental harm and restore biodiversity, the Charter outlines concrete actions that PSB partners will take to drive meaningful, long-term sustainability.
The Charter acknowledges the Welsh Government’s ambition to conserve and manage at least 30% of land and sea for biodiversity by 2030 and supports efforts to better understand its implications. It also aligns with the goal of achieving net zero targets for organisations by 2030 and contributing to a net zero Wales by 2050.
Key commitments include:
- Restoring and protecting nature – Creating opportunities for communities to reconnect with and actively support nature recovery.
- Tackling waste at the source – Prioritising waste reduction before reusing, recycling, and recovery.
- Decarbonising buildings and operations – Reducing energy and water consumption, making spaces more sustainable.
- Transforming travel and transport – Accelerating the shift to low-carbon travel while ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place.
Partners will measure and report progress annually, adapt policies where needed, and drive behaviour change through engagement with staff, service users, and communities.
Collaboration and shared learning will be at the heart of these efforts to ensure long-term impact.
Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Chair of the PSB, said: “This Charter reaffirms the PSB’s commitment to tackling the climate and nature emergencies together.
“We know that a healthy environment is essential for our well-being, economy, and future resilience. By working collaboratively across public services, we can take meaningful action to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity, and support nature recovery.
“The PSB’s latest Charter sets out clear, practical steps that will help us create positive change—through policy, infrastructure, and community engagement.”
David Letellier, Head of South Wales Central Operations at Natural Resources Wales, said: “This Charter demonstrates the PSB’s shared commitment to addressing the climate and nature emergencies.
“The key to success will be new ways of working that drive behavioural change – everyone has got a role to play.
“With our strong commitment together, we continue to make steady progress towards our big mission for biodiversity and net-zero targets, both locally and nationally.”
The new Climate and Nature Emergency Charter is available on the PSB website, and progress will be reported regularly.