Ambitious leadership on climate change needed, say Lib Dems

Plans to cut Wales' net greenhouse gas emissions to zero and meet its electricity needs entirely from renewable sources by 2050 have been announced by the Liberal Democrats.

Halving the energy used for heating and electricity by 2030 is also among their environmental policies for May's assembly election.

Lib Dem AM William Powell said Wales must do more to tackle climate change.

It was time for "ambitious leadership" on the environment, he added.

The party's other main green targets are "halting the loss of biodiversity", reductions in the variety of animal and plant life, by 2020 and increasing the number of people cycling.

It wants the number of adults regularly taking to their bikes to rise from the current 6% to 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2050.

Mr Powell said Welsh Labour had failed to protect the environment while the Conservatives had "declared war on the renewables sector".

"It is only the Welsh Liberal Democrats who have the ambition and the fresh ideas that Wales needs to tackle climate change and grow our green economy," he said

The party will launch the plans, contained in a policy paper titled Towards a Greener Tomorrow, at a solar panel factory in Pontypridd.