Environment (Wales) Act 2016

[F1 6B Biodiversity targets: general E+W

(1) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations set targets in respect of any matter relating to biodiversity in Wales.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may set a target in the regulations only if they are satisfied that meeting it would contribute to halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity or to restoring biodiversity to resilient levels, in particular through one or more of the following—

(a) increasing the abundance of native species;

(b) enhancing the resilience of ecosystems (in particular the aspects specified in section 6(2)(a) to (e));

(c) increasing genetic diversity.

(3) In considering whether a target would contribute to‍ the matters specified in subsection (2)(a), (b) or (c), the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the list published under section 7.

(4) The regulations must, in relation to each target—

(a) specify a standard to be achieved, which must be capable of being objectively measured, and

(b) specify a date by which the standard is to be achieved.

(5) The regulations must—

(a) include provision about how to measure—

(i) progress towards achieving each standard specified under subsection (4), and

(ii) whether the standard has been achieved, and

(b) specify indicators as a means of measuring those things.

(6) A target under this section is set when the regulations setting it come into force.

(7) In this section—

(a)

“native species” means species that naturally occur or have in the past naturally occurred in Wales, including—

(i)

regularly occurring migratory species (both breeding and non-breeding) and natural colonists, and

(ii)

species that have been reintroduced in Wales following past extinction;

(b)

“natural colonists” means species that arrived in Wales of their own accord and have become established, including those that become migratory species.

(8) In sections 6C, 6D, 6G, 6H and 6I, “specified standard” and “specified date”, in relation to a target set under this section, mean the standard and date specified under subsection (4).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 6B-6I and cross-heading inserted (27.6.2026) by Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026 (asc 4), ss. 35(1), 46(2)(f)