Climate Cymru is an active network of 370 partner organisations from every sector in Welsh society, and a movement of over 15,000 individuals from across Wales who are concerned about climate change. Warm This Winter is a UK-wide campaign supported by leading anti-poverty and environmental organisations calling on the UK government to provide more emergency support for people struggling with energy bills this and every winter, and a coherent plan to move the UK away from fossil fuels, through a rollout of home insulation and affordable renewables. Climate Cymru is running a sister Warm this Winter campaign in Wales. Since launching in September 2023, Warm This Winter Wales has brought together a network of campaigners from across the environmental and poverty sectors to push the Welsh and UK Governments to take immediate and long-term action on the cost-of-living crisis and the underlying problems with our broken energy system.
We are in the grips of multiple crises – the cost-of-living crisis, energy crisis, and the climate and nature emergencies. These crises are connected and intertwined. They have shared causes and solutions. Emergency support is needed for the most vulnerable. Beyond that, the best solutions for a genuine pathway out of the cost-of-living crisis are also key steps to addressing energy security and the climate crisis – like a rapid scale up of energy efficiency and rolling out community energy all over Wales. The financial case for these programs is also compelling.
The energy crisis did not happen overnight and could have been avoided if action on energy efficiency and renewables had been taken decades ago. Unless we take urgent and informed action now, short term or false solutions risk locking us into the worsening impacts of climate change and future energy crises.
Summary of the campaign
The campaign has contributed to tangible progress: raising awareness of open cast mining schemes in Wales and the need to end coaling, presenting a petition on pre payment meters to the Senedd triggering an enquiry, a debate in the Senedd on Warm this Winter with unanimous support from members, and included an announcement on the new energy efficiency programme by Welsh Government. Our lobbying has led to more awareness of the importance of linking the cost of living to the need to invest in low-cost renewables to bring our energy bills down and have real input from local communities on our future energy needs.
But we cannot let up. We must ensure that the campaign progresses, and show that when we link solutions of the cost of living crisis to investment in more renewables and energy efficiency for our homes, the people of Wales can, and will benefit.
The Welsh and UK Government’s, alongside other institutions, need to act urgently to ensure that solutions to address the cost-of-living emergency also address the climate and nature emergencies. Levers that are within Welsh Government control need to be used to support vulnerable households, and to prioritise renewables and energy efficiency schemes.
The Warm this Winter campaign in Wales would like Welsh Government to deliver:
- Emergency support for vulnerable households
- An ambitious energy efficiency programme
- A rapid scale-up of low-cost renewables
- Free us from fossil fuels
The Climate Cymru network, and other organisations behind the Warm this Winter campaign, are ready to continue to work productively with the Welsh Government to make these things happen, both on building them into policy, and on rolling them out to the wider public.
If you would like to get involved, you can email Bethan on Bethan(at)Climate.Cymru.
