Climate change is the biggest challenge facing Wales for the next few generations and every part of Wales has to play its part to reduce our carbon footprint. However, the local needs of different parts of Wales vary and the local environment is different everywhere. So councils must be given the chance to adapt to their own local settings.
Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that re-using our waste is one of the best ways of helping the environment. It is often cheaper and cleaner to re-use these materials rather than creating new ones from scratch. It stops us from having to send our waste to landfill, helping the environment and cutting councils' Landfill Tax costs. Every household in Wales should have access to free, effective recycling.
Welsh Liberal Democrats have led the way in raising recycling rates in areas that we control. They have risen everywhere where we lead the council or where we are in charge of the recycling portfolio. When Labour last ran Cardiff Council in 2004, residents had to pay for recycling bags. Now, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have introduced free weekly recycling and recycling rates have risen to 50%. In Wrexham, recycling rates have quadrupled under the Welsh Liberal Democrats. In Conwy, a Welsh Liberal Democrat councillor was appointed to the council's cabinet and his dedicated work on recycling ensured the government's 40% target was reached two years early. He was also responsible for creating a new, smarter recycling system which means eight types of recycling can be collected at once.
We also need to tackle our carbon emissions. There are two ways of doing this; the first is to use energy more wisely, cutting down on waste. The second is to use more clean, renewable energy.
Across Wales, Welsh Liberal Democrat-led councils have been promoting renewable energy. Wrexham council has installed solar panels on social housing and used the profits to reduce the fuel bills of all social housing tenants in the area.
Welsh Liberal Democrats in the National Assembly are in the process of securing additional money for fuel poverty programmes that will help the poorest people in Wales save energy, keep warm and reduce their fuel bills.
Our approach will contribute to cutting carbon emissions.
