Enhancing and protecting the local environment has a huge impact on people’s quality of life. Our councils do so against a backdrop of increasing financial constraint.
Constant service innovation by local councils has positioned Wales as the highest recycling nation in the UK.
Improving performance further is challenging. We need a shared way forward. One where ambitious statutory recycling targets are met by councils shaping public services on local community need.
Council services are diverse. Their impacts range from improved natural landscapes, to arresting a decline in biodiversity, managing flood risk and helping communities adapt to climate change. The three National Parks in Wales, who are associate members of the WLGA, play a major role in all of these areas and more.
Our councils are leading on the delivery of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and delivering increasingly positive social, economic and cultural outcomes at the same time.
Local councils are also playing a vital role in Wales’ drive to improve energy security and encourage a much greater use of renewable energy.
Our Waste Improvement Programme continues to assist councils to benchmark their sustainable waste management services and provides the in-depth research required to improve performance.
We support councils through training and sharing best practice in flood and water, and we are working with Local Partnerships to develop a portfolio of local government led renewable energy investments.
To achieve all this, we work in partnership. Alongside Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and our communities, we are helping to shape Wales’ national environmental policies.
Our aim is to deliver local public services that improve, protect and enhance the environment in Wales, both now and for future generations.
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For more information contact: Tim Peppin