The local environment and natural world are huge assets to the Vale with 60 kilometres of coastal path, beautiful countryside and country parks and a significant agricultural economy. However, climate change is putting pressure on the environment as we balance our economic, social and cultural well-being ensuring we respect the environment and nature.
The Vale of Glamorgan PSB Well-being Plan 2023-28 includes the objective ‘A more resilient and greener Vale’. In order to support this objective, in April 2025, PSB partners launched the new Climate and Nature Emergency Charter, addressing the urgent need to tackle the intertwined crises of climate change and nature loss together. Recognising that one cannot be solved without the other, the new Charter reflects the commitments that all partners have agreed as part of Our Well-being Plan.
The Charter sets out a series of key commitments for PSB partners, both within their own organisations and to act in partnership, with the aim of managing and limiting the effects of the climate and nature emergencies:
- 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.
Collaboration and shared learning will be at the heart of these efforts to ensure long-term impact, and partners will measure and report progress annually, adapt policies where needed, and drive behaviour change through engagement with staff, service users, and communities.
Examples of planned work:
- The PSB Asset Management and Climate Emergency Subgroup, will continue to meet and share good practice and opportunities to collaborate in 2025 through themed meetings on carbon reporting, buildings decarbonisation, and procurement.
- PSB partners will promote a wider understanding of our impact on the environment. Natural Resources Wales are developing a teaching resource to support developing their estate for health, learning and biodiversity, and the Vale of Glamorgan Council are hosting biodiversity training, open to all PSB partners.
- Cutting carbon emissions – South Wales Police will purchase 100% renewable (REGO certified) energy, the University Health Board will increase its renewable electricity production and Cardiff and Vale College will develop a carbon reduction strategy.