Pippa Bartolotti, the Wales Green Party Leader and the lead assembly candidate for South East Wales, has set out her expectations for the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Paris from 30th November. The COP21 conference will draw together the governments of more than 190 nations to reach a new global agreement aimed at avoiding dangerous climate change.

Bartolotti, who will also stand in Newport West, emphasised the urgency and importance of facing up to the scientific facts. She said: "We can no longer stop the planet from warming. The Paris talks are now about mitigations. 2015 will be the year global warming has reached 1C – a halfway mark to dangerous warming that would threaten our homes and local environments."

Bartolotti hopes that the talks will result in a binding international treaty: "The lukewarm good intentions have achieved very little in the past. All international efforts to stop burning fossil fuels have failed. The UK must cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2030. This is not an impossible target. In Wales, we have a stunning array of inexhaustible natural energy. We are better placed than most to drastically cut our emissions."

Bartolotti highlighted the failure of the current UK government to invest in the development of the renewable sector whilst "recklessly aiming to maximise recovery from oil, gas and fracking. The Conservative administration is not even interested in creating policies for energy saving which would be the easiest option. Continuing to burn fossil fuels in the UK and globally will only result in more climate refugees and climate related conflicts will multiply. Extreme weather will harm the most vulnerable, the elderly and the very young", she said.

Whilst Bartolotti is clear that the stakes could not be higher in Paris, overall she is positive about the potential outcomes offered by the climate talks. "This is an unmissable opportunity for people to make their voices heard", she said. Bartolotti plans to join the hundreds of thousands of citizens demonstrating in Cardiff, London and Paris during the talks.  

Three contenders to be the next leader of Wales Green Party will take part in a hustings at the party’s annual general meeting in Cardiff this weekend. 

Anthony Slaughter, Alice Hooker-Stroud and Ashley Wakeling will compete to win the support of party members at the event at the Angel Hotel this Saturday (14 November), before voting opens in the next few weeks. 

Current leader Pippa Bartolotti retires at the end of this year, having completed the maximum term of five years on the Wales Green Party Council.

Bartolotti said:

“Sad as I am to be standing down, I am confident that this year’s leadership elections will measure up to be a major event in our development. The Welsh elections beckon, and with record numbers of members and activists, and some brilliant candidates led by the four women topping the regional lists, we are quietly confident that 2016 will be the year Greens finally make an impact in the Senedd.

“The Welsh elections will be the time we see Greens represented in every political chamber in the UK. Wales is crying out for fresh ideas which will take us safely into the future, and a political party which puts people, planet and Wales at the top of the agenda.”

Shahrar Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, who will be speaking at the Wales AGM, said:

“I’m delighted to be addressing Wales Green Party this weekend. Hot on the heels of a spirited general election campaign, we're gearing up for our first seats on the Welsh Assembly.

“Democracy is about service to the people and having the verve and vision to make the case for a unique kind of governance. Greens are leading the call for investment in jobs, renewable energy and public services, with urgency and ambition. In Wales, the political revolution is coming to a doorstep near you.”

Also speaking at the AGM will be Wales Green Party member, Herbert Girardet, adviser on sustainability and carbon reduction to the South Australian government. Girardet has written 10 books and produced 50 TV documentaries on sustainable development. He has also been presented the UN Global 500 award for outstanding environmental achievements.

As we mourn the victims of terror in Paris, Turkey, Syria and beyond, it is important to examine the link between oil and war.

Isis are funded in large part by oil revenues coming from the oil wells they have captured in Iraq and Syria.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “Isis make about $1.5m a day from oil. Planet warming mitigation measures are not in their interests. The Ankara (Turkish) bombings killed peace protesters and a founder of the Turkish Greens.Isis likes war, they like oil, they like climate change because it brings instability, as in Syria and Africa. It should not be a surprise that they targeted Paris and COP 21.

“The savage irony is that people in Iraq and Syria who are fighting Isis are having to buy their oil from Isis. When we break the link between oil and energy we will have more stability and peace.

“Wales, with its extremely high levels of available renewable energy, is very well placed to break that link. Unfortunately both the UK government and the Welsh government prefer to pander to the fossil fuelled status quo, with its inherent risks to global stability and market manipulation.”

Pippa Bartolotti uses public transport, has an electric car and the electricity she uses is 100% renewable. “We can all live very comfortable lives without burning oil. I do. The choice of fuel is entirely political. Wales can and should disentangle us all from fossil fuels and the insecurity they bring.”

Following its biggest ever national conference in Cardiff, the Wales Green Party has announced that two of its most high-profile members are aiming to win seats on the regional list in South Wales Central. The Party will be fielding candidates in every constituency in the region, to build on its best ever results in the 2015 general election.

Newport-born Amelia Womack is lead candidate for the regional list, and standing in Cardiff Central. As Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Amelia is the youngest person to hold a leadership position in a major UK political party. She holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College as well as a BSc in Environmental Biology and has extensive campaigning experience for social and environmental justice.

Amelia is passionate about ensuring stronger youth representation in politics, working closely with the Young Greens and a number of youth organisations to inspire younger generations to vote and use their democratic rights.

Amelia said:

“We have already seen what Greens have achieved in Scotland, London, and Northern Ireland, now the time has come to show what we can do for Wales. As one of Wales’ first Green AMs, I will speak up for genuinely affordable housing, decent jobs, real opportunities for young people, and ambitious environmental policies that will make Wales a world leader in green technology.

"People in South Wales Central will see our strong team of candidates and volunteers working tirelessly in every constituency to ensure we win our first seats in 2016. Green AM’s will radically change Welsh politics for the better, and hold the next Welsh Government to account for the big promises made on the environment, the economy, and equality.”

Anthony Slaughter, Deputy Leader of Wales Green Party, is second on the list, and contesting Cardiff South and Penarth. As a long time Penarth resident and well-known local Green campaigner, Anthony has significantly grown the party’s share of the vote in two previous elections in the constituency.

Anthony said:

“The Wales Green Party’s surge in membership and public support shows people are tired of business as usual politics in the Assembly. We now have a real opportunity to get the elected Green representation that Wales so desperately needs.

“In these times of environmental degradation, enforced austerity and ever increasing inequality, strong Green voices will bring an end to the stale, cosy politics in Cardiff Bay. People I meet across South Wales Central tell me they are ready for real change. We will not allow the next Welsh Government to get away with another five years of good intentions that only lead to muddled delivery, and the same old excuses.”

Amelia Womack & Anthony Slaughter

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review today make a dangerous assumption centred around the £47B of extra tax being collected in the next fiscal year.

This money is not a guaranteed income to the exchequer, and a flimsy basis for announcing vast spending plans. Budgetary predictions have had a habit of being wrong. For example, austerity was supposed to eliminate the deficit by 2015. In fact it has barely halved. Osbourne has created more new debt in 4 years than every other Labour government in history.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party Leader said, “It is worrying that the future of the UK is being based on a hopeful prediction, and not a reality. U-turns are becoming a feature of this government, and whilst we heartily welcome the U-turn on tax credits, we are concerned that this spending review is based more on luck than judgement as the interest government pays on its debt remains at an historic low.

“Our environment, the basis for life on this planet, has not had the assistance we desperately need it to have. Our burgeoning solar and renewables sectors are being killed off, along with many of our animals and plants. The Chancellor could have used his speech to invest in low carbon housebuilding, to reduce taxes on low carbon industries, and to invest heavily in public transport.

“Investing more in housing only makes sense if it is built to the best possible environmental standards, which will take people out of fuel poverty and minimise Co2 production. We need a government of ecological literacy if we are to have anything like a sustainable society. Instead Defra has had the biggest cuts of any department.

“We need a Chancellor who prioritizes our needs for the future. Wales could be a model of new energy generation, but instead more money is going into the Cardiff City Deal, completely ignoring the potential of Mid and North Wales which could be a ‘powerhouse’ in the true sense of the word.

The Wales Green Party recognises that abolition of the need for a referendum on the devolution of income tax in Wales is a good thing, and will save money which can be better directed elsewhere.

In the run up to the vital COP21 talks being held in Paris, Cardiff Green Party activists will join like minded protesters from across South Wales this Saturday at the Wales Climate Action rally.

The rally will begin at 1.30pm in Callaghan Square in Cardiff, followed by a bike ride to the steps of the Senedd where Wales Green Party Leader Pippa Bartolotti will join other speakers addressing the crowds.

The Wales Green Party's South Wales Central list candidates Amelia Womack and Anthony Slaughter will also be attending.

Speaking about the COP21 summit, Anthony Slaughter said:

"We're being told that this will be the COP where the tokenism and greenwash of previous summits is over, and a serious agreement will finally be reached. But as the Green vote grows across Europe, it's easy to make the right noises on climate change. I hope our leaders will take our responsibility to future generations seriously this time, and agree that we must leave fossil fuel reserves in the ground.

"In the wake of Amber Rudd's mauling of the renewables industry, the next Welsh Government must fill the vacuum left by those essential subsidies. With strong Green voices in the Senedd, Wales could become the home of green technology in the UK, playing our part in leaving an environmental legacy to be proud of, and building stronger communities in the process.

"Sooner or later, governments will have no choice but to take action on climate change. Knowing what we know, to leave it until it's too late would simply be criminal."

Speaking head of the Cardiff rally, Amelia Womack said:

"Demonstrations around the globe will be taking place during the COP21 negotiations in Paris. It is clear that there is more public will power than ever to ensure that we remain within 2 degrees C of climate warming - I hope we can turn this into political will power.

"I am proud to be taking part in Wales Climate Action and to stand alongside so many people working to build a better Wales and a better world. These demonstrations and the COP negotiations will be a step on the road to a decarbonised future; by getting as many people involved as possible we can show that climate needs to be at the top of the agenda in the Senedd, Westminster, and Brussels."

The Green Party have signed a cross party letter requesting Government support of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon Project. Caroline Lucas MP has signed the open letter to Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which states: "This isn’t about one project or indeed one party.  It’s about the overwhelming will of the Welsh people to try and realise the opportunity that washes Wales’ coastline each day.  The will to turn Wales’ tides into jobs, regeneration, industry and tourism.  This is no longer a vision for the future, it’s available right now."

Despite manifesto claims of support for the project, the Government have yet to come to agreement with Tidal Lagoon Power on the essential subsidies which are needed for the project to go ahead.

Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti, added her voice to the calls: "Wales Green Party has supported this project since it's inception. It's vital that the electricity subsidies are agreed by Westminster so that this important project can move forward without further unnecessary delays. Swansea will be hosting the first lagoon of its type in the world, and this will be a terrific draw to the area. Environmental tourism is in its infancy, and Swansea and Wales will reap significant financial benefits."

Peter Varley and Steven Jenkins have been chosen as the Wales Green Party's Welsh Assembly candidates for the Newport East and Torfaen constituencies respectively.

Newport East candidate, Peter Varley said, “I joined the Green Party because I believe that the environment comes first and cannot be taken for granted. We need clean air, clean water and healthy food, and we must work to preserve them.”

“I believe in Green politics. This isn't my first election - I was the Green Party's lead candidate for South-East Wales in the 2003 Assembly Election. I stand for election because I believe that politics should work for the common good.

“We don't do politics properly in Wales. Too many issues are decided without any public discussion, none more so than the M4 Relief Road. I don't want the "black route". I don't want the "blue route" either. I want more investment in public transport - if freight and passengers travelled by rail, we wouldn't need these new roads.

“Newport is threatened by climate change. Parts of the city centre are already at high-tide level. Sea levels will rise ten or fifteen feet in our lifetimes, and the city centre will be flooded. We have to take action to defend our city against this threat.

“Planning for the future, we need an education system which develops our different talents, whether at work or outside, whether our talents are for words, for music, or practical, or on the sports field. In a Green community, we would use our different talents to make things better for everyone. The conveyor-belt schools we have are not fit for purpose and betray our future."

Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti said: "Peter Varley is a thoughtful and intelligent man who will be fantastic at scrutinizing the laws and papers which go through the Senedd. Scrutiny is a vital part of Assembly business, and not enough of it is done well. Having Peter Varley in the Senedd would not only give Wales a much needed Green voice, it would stimulate all Assembly members to 'up their game' in the crucial area of detail in law making."

Torfaen candidate, Steven Jenkins, who described himself as a husband, carer, musician, socialist, activist and a Green Party member, said, “Since 2010 we have been watching the mental health services being decimated. Some of my best friends are physically disabled and we have seen care packages being shaken up and squeezed resulting in unworkable solutions. None of the main three parties have listened to the concerned public voices. 

“I am disturbed by the amount of money being spent on privatised vanity projects such as fracking, HS2 and Trident. Watching corporate bosses awarding themselves huge pay-rises and bonuses whilst nearly 10 per cent of the UK population helplessly and needlessly live in persistent poverty, inspired me to wake up and find my voice. More importantly, I found my political home in the Wales Green Party. I became a member a few days after the opportunity to take aim at the Welsh Lib Dem, Labour and Tory leaders on BBC Question Time in Cardiff in December 2014.

“Although I was born in Southampton, I grew up in Wales from the age of two. I am from a working class family and have been brought up to work hard and look after those in need. I believe we have a moral responsibility to help others who might not be as fortunate as us. Since leaving school most of my work has been based around looking after people or in customer service. Becoming a carer to my then soon-to-be wife woke me up to the disdain that the current powers in Westminster have for people like me and my partner. If you aren't making money, they have no time for you.”

Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti said:

"Steven Jenkins is standing in Torfaen because he understands the need for Green voices in the Senedd. We need a political shake-up in Wales. We need fresh voices and fresh ideas. With a background in caring, Stephen will prioritize the 'Cinderella' service of social care. With an aging population, Wales and Torfaen will find they have a champion for our elderly parents and less abled citizens."

As the negotiators and analysts in Paris try to hammer out some form of agreement to limit global warming, the prognosis in Wales just got worse. Once in a lifetime events are now happening with increasing regularity, as the events in North Wales over the weekend have shown.

Wales Green Party leader, Pippa Bartolotti said, “Rising seas will render most of our sea defences useless in a couple of decades no matter how much money we spend. Wales is still not properly playing the part it should in reducing greenhouse gasses.

“The Welsh Government is as guilty as any other in not reducing greenhouse gasses, and has taken next to no steps to combat the warming, yet it has powers already to be part of the solution.”

The weekend floods were foreseeable. Flooding and extreme weather have been forecast for more than 20 years, and governments all over the world have been dragging their feet, preferring to put economic gain before their responsibility towards averting the global 2 degrees of warming which without fail will deliver more flooding and extreme weather, mostly to those who cannot viably escape it.

Pippa Bartolotti added, “Importantly, Wales has the power to decarbonize housebuilding, to reduce packaging, to nudge us into eating habits which are healthier for the planet. And what is healthy for the planet is healthy for us all.

“We could end new roadbuilding, and maintain what we have to higher standards. We could invest in low carbon public transport and build the renewable infrastructure Wales could be so proud of.”

The plastic bag tax was quick to 'nudge' people in the right direction. Other similar measures can be taken on food, housing and environmental taxes, such as on waste or exploitation of natural resources are possible.

“Wales has dragged its feet on environmentally helpful measures. When we see our friends and neighbours being inundated by flood, when we see once in a lifetime weather events happening once a year, we could weep. Or we could get active and pressurize the WG to get real about climate change.”

The Draft Budget for Wales was announced today, and we are assured that health spending will get a boost of £293.5m

The Wales Green Party is concerned that the population of Wales is getting unhealthier and that there are few preventative measures in place to combat bad diet, poor housing and lack of exercise.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “The fact that we are having to spend more on health is in part a reflection on the bad health of Welsh society. Money spend on prevention will mean less strain on our hospitals and desperately stretched nursing staff. It is not a measure of success to have to continually spend more and more on healthcare.

“Greens would put more money into public transport which will promote a more active lifestyle and clean up the air we breathe. Both these outcomes will reduce pressure on healthcare.

“One of the key issues in the NHS is the lack of social care available for those leaving hospital. The approximate £1m allocated to each local council is not going to cover these ever increasing needs. Greens would push for the NHS Wales and Social Services to be amalgamated in order to make better use of the available funds.”

Greens welcome the small increase in capital spend for flood defences even as they deplore the cuts in revenue budget to Natural Resources Wales.

Bartolotti said, “Wales still lacks a coherent strategy for flood mitigation measures, and just building higher and higher barriers to the rivers and sea is not a solution. We must reforest the high ground and plant soak-up crops such as hemp around flood plains. Wales must wake up and play its proper part in the global effort to stop further warming. This means investment in renewable infrastructure and carbon negative housebuilding.

“In all this was a budget to hand out the cuts to subsidies coming from the UK Treasury. Wales needs to create its own income and have its own tax raising powers. That means Wales must have a supportive regulatory environment enabled by clear decision making at government level. We need to create a climate for sustainable investment and a strategy to carry that forward. This Draft Budget held none of the ingredients to a pathway for future prosperity."       

The Draft Budget for Wales was announced today, and we are assured that health spending will get a boost of £293.5m

The Wales Green Party is concerned that the population of Wales is getting unhealthier and that there are few preventative measures in place to combat bad diet, poor housing and lack of exercise.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “The fact that we are having to spend more on health is in part a reflection on the bad health of Welsh society. Money spend on prevention will mean less strain on our hospitals and desperately stretched nursing staff. It is not a measure of success to have to continually spend more and more on healthcare.

“Greens would put more money into public transport which will promote a more active lifestyle and clean up the air we breathe. Both these outcomes will reduce pressure on healthcare.

“One of the key issues in the NHS is the lack of social care available for those leaving hospital. The approximate £1m allocated to each local council is not going to cover these ever increasing needs. Greens would push for the NHS Wales and Social Services to be amalgamated in order to make better use of the available funds.”

Greens welcome the small increase in capital spend for flood defences even as they deplore the cuts in revenue budget to Natural Resources Wales.

Bartolotti said, “Wales still lacks a coherent strategy for flood mitigation measures, and just building higher and higher barriers to the rivers and sea is not a solution. We must reforest the high ground and plant soak-up crops such as hemp around flood plains. Wales must wake up and play its proper part in the global effort to stop further warming. This means investment in renewable infrastructure and carbon negative housebuilding.

“In all this was a budget to hand out the cuts to subsidies coming from the UK Treasury. Wales needs to create its own income and have its own tax raising powers. That means Wales must have a supportive regulatory environment enabled by clear decision making at government level. We need to create a climate for sustainable investment and a strategy to carry that forward. This Draft Budget held none of the ingredients to a pathway for future prosperity."       

Swansea & Gower Green Party are organising a peace rally this Saturday 12 December in Castle Square, Swansea.

The rally will call for the resumption of the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks by the United States and Russia which came to a halt in 2010. More generally, the rally will also call upon the governments of the world to embark upon a process of multilateral disarmament; and for the peace talks, recently adjourned in Vienna, to resume to attempt to resolve the conflict in Syria.

The rally is organised by Nada Najar, a Syrian doctor, now living in Swansea. Dr Najar is naturally appalled at the tragic conflict which has claimed the lives of so many of her fellow Syrians over the last four years, and has given rise to the flood of refugees from her country into Western Europe.

Dr Najar has the support of the Swansea Coalition against the War, Swansea CND, and refugee support groups from the area. Dr Najar said: "We hope that the people of Swansea and the surrounding area will turn out in numbers to
join us at the rally in order to make clear to governments that proliferation of armed conflict across the Middle East and elsewhere can not be allowed to continue.  A solution to these conflicts must be found".

The Green Party have consistently spoken out in support of a diplomatic solution to the situation in Syria, and have campaigned vociferously against air strikes. Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti said: “There are far too many weapons swimming around the world right now, and the UK government plays a huge part in facilitating the sales and proliferation of arms, many of which get into the hands of questionable organizations. That so many weapons are available in Libya and Syria right now is testament to the lack of morality endemic in the arms trade. More than two thirds of UK arms sales go to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia is the largest single arms buyer. Selling weapons fuels human rights abuses and forces misery on millions. I fully support Swansea Green Party in their action. “

The rally takes place at 1.30pm this Saturday atCastle Square, Swansea.

Wales Green Party will announce their new Leader on Wednesday 16th December at the opening of their new campaign office in Cardiff. The new Leader and Deputy Leader, elected by the membership, will take the Party into the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election where they hope to achieve electoral breakthrough.

The Leadership is being contested by Anthony Slaughter, current Deputy Leader, and Alice Hooker-Stroud, lead list candidate for Mid & West Wales in the Assembly elections. Hannah Pudner, Cardiff West candidate, is standing for Deputy Leader along with Hooker-Stroud. Current Leader, Pippa Bartolotti, is standing down after four years as Party Leader. Bartolotti said: "It's been my privilege and honour to lead Wales Green Party through its biggest growth period in history. I'm delighted to see such strong candidates in the running to lead our Party to future success. With Assembly elections coming up next May, Greens will press forward with coherent measures for Wales to play its part in preventing excessive climate change. We simply cannot stand by and watch people getting flooded out of their houses, and we will push for flood mitigation measures alongside a rational strategy for a Wales which can stand on it’s own economic feet. With elected Greens in the Senedd, this will be an exciting time for Wales.

The new office, based on Whitchurch Road in Cardiff, will be a hub for Green Party campaign activity over the next 6 months. The office will be headed up by Campaign Manager, Dan Boyle, a former Irish politician who brings over twenty years of political experience to the Party. Boyle said: "This is a momentous time for Wales Green Party. We have an excellent set of candidates, a strong and motivated supporter base, and the infrastructure to realise our potential. I have every confidence that 2016 will see the first Greens elected to the Assembly."

The Wales Green Party has announced that Hannah Pudner  has been selected to stand for Cardiff West in the forthcoming elections for the National Assembly for Wales.

Keen community activist, Hannah said “I am delighted to be representing Wales Green Party in my home constituency. The residents of Cardiff West deserve a Green voice in the Senedd, ensuring politics is working for the common good, putting people before profit and protecting ourselves, the ones we love and our planet for the long term”.  

“Health, education and housing are the key concerns for people in Cardiff West - as are concerns about the state and sustainability of environment.  A Green vote would put these issues at the top of the agenda, ensuring an approach of fairness, transparency and compassion, so often lacking in politics”. 

Deputy Leader, Anthony Slaughter said “I am delighted Hannah has been selected to represent Cardiff West in the May elections.  She cares deeply about her community, Wales and the world around her.  Her energy, approach to eco-socialism and compassion would be a breath of fresh air to Welsh politics.  Wales needs people like her to take this country forward, creating a better world for now and generations to come”.

Hannah is currently an Assistant Director at the Open University in Wales. Before joining the Open University she was Director of the National Union of Students Wales. Hannah is also Vice Chair of South Riverside Community Development Centre,  an external trustee for the University of South Wales Students' Union, a board member of Cardiff and Vale College, and an Local Authority Governor for Severn Primary, her local primary school in Canton. She is originally from Neath and now lives in Riverside, Cardiff.   

Hannah can be followed on social media:

@hannahpudner

www.facebook/cardiffwestgreenparty

One of the youngest leaders of any political party in the UK, Alice Hooker Stroud, from Machynlleth in Powys has been announced as the new leader to take the party forward to the Welsh assembly elections in May 2016. Hannah Pudner has also been elected deputy leader of the party.

The announcement was made at the opening of Wales Green Party campaign office in Cardiff, on Wednesday 16^th of December. Alice Hooker-Stroud said

“This is an exciting time for the Wales Green Party, we enter the Welsh Assembly election as a determined and energetic party, we can and we will win seats.”

 In the general election this year the Wales Green Party stood candidates in 36 out of a possible 40 constituencies. Membership of the party has also tripled in the last year, particularly within the 18-35 year old age bracket.

Alice continued;

 “The Wales Green Party has the solutions to many of the problems we face in our communities. Solutions that tackle not just social, but environmental problems, solutions not just for local problems, but global problems too.”

 Pippa Bartolotti outgoing leader said;

“Over the last few years the Wales Green Party has gone from strength to strength and as we build momentum to the Welsh assembly elections in May it will carry on doing so. Voters are ready to hear people speak out with real solutions and that is what the Wales Green Party offers. I look forward to working with Alice over the coming months and supporting her during her leadership.”

Hannah Pudner said;

I am delighted to be elected as Deputy Leader for Wales Green party. Wales has a rich history of doing social good. It has a rich history of being radical. But political complacency has set in. I look forward to helping Wales Greens get elected to the Senedd; working for people, for planet, for Wales.  Lets show the world that Wales is a small, but incredibly smart country.

The money divested from fossil fuels could be reinvested in housing and renewable energy to ensure greater financial returns and local benefit, Gwent Green Party Welsh Assembly candidates say.

Following the historical climate deal reached in Paris at the start of this month to curb climate change globally, the Wales Green Party has voiced concerns over the continuing investment of pension funds in fossil fuels in Wales. The Wales Green Party’s campaign draws attention to the precarious situation of keeping pension funds tied into fossil fuels.

The outgoing leader of the Wales Green Party and the lead candidate for Newport West, Pippa Bartolotti, said: “Here in Newport, the council’s pension fund has £105,306,000.00 invested in fossil fuels. This is a huge amount of money, and in fact we could now get a better financial return if we invested in more ethical funds. COP 21 agreed to keep planet warming to under 2 degrees, and the signal has been given to industry to invest in renewable energy.

She highlighted that “Welsh council pension funds will soon be vulnerable to losses unless the change is made.”

Andrew Creak who is standing for the Welsh Assembly in Caerphilly and represents Wales Green Party, said: “I am campaigning for divestment in Wales as I believe that Wales should face up to its responsibility to fight climate change. Wales also has an economic responsibility to provide sustainable growth to its citizens. The money invested in fossil fuels is being sent away from the local area. If it was reinvested in local projects the local economy here in South Wales would benefit immensely.”

Bartolotti, who is looking forward to being able to focus on local issues in Newport after finishing her term as Wales Green Party leader added: “As lead candidate for South Wales East, I am campaigning for a healthy economy, and divesting from fossil fuels is a crucial part of a modern economic landscape. The money divested from fossil fuels can be reinvested in renewable energy and housing, benefitting local people.” 

The Wales Green Party assembly candidates and members in Gwent will be appealing to their local councillors to stop their pension providers investing in fossil fuels. Gwent Green Party members are urging Newport to take lead in sustainable investment of pension funds. 

The day after the Westminster government passed licences to allowing fracking to be carried out under national parks and other protected sites of beauty, we had another blow to the renewables industry in the reduction of Feed in Tariffs (FiTs)which encourage investment in solar, wind and hydro power.

Welsh farmers are being hit hardest by this, as the Labour government increased the licence fees for hydro power earlier this year, and now the Conservative government has decreased the tariff.

 Grenville Ham, Green Party Candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire and Managing Director of TGV Hydro Ltd said “This is yet another devastating blow to the flourishing renewable energy industry in Wales. This year we have seen the Welsh Labour Government increase the licence fees for hydro schemes from £135 to up to £1500, and the Conservative Government slash the feed-in-tariff rate for wind, solar and hydro. The additional 20% reduction to hydro has come out of the blue and will inevitably lead to the loss of skilled jobs across Wales in terms of manufacturing, construction and design. It is also a bitter pill for our hill farmers looking to diversify their business through clean green energy, and our community groups looking to secure long-term income to tackle social problems.”

The addition of a deployment cap will further undermine confidence in the sector and make long term financial planning almost impossible. Despite the slightly better than expected result for solar it is difficult to see how renewable energy schemes will be able to raise finance.

Pippa Bartolotti, outgoing Wales Green Party leader said, ”It is clear that the influence of fossil fuel companies is stepping up as they fight against the agreements made at COP 21 to invest more in renewables and keep global warming to under 2 degrees C. 

“Greens propose a simplified renewables funding scheme for small domestic projects which would move investment possibilities away from the wealthier in society, and democratize energy by removing capital barriers. Removing FiT’s  for 4KW renewables projects, and replacing them with 100% grants to householders would be cheaper for the government, more accessible to homeowners and importantly would save the 1000’s of skilled jobs now being threatened.” 

As the Chancellor addresses business leaders in Cardiff today, the Wales Green Party's prospective Assembly candidate for South Wales Central, Amelia Womack says the cracks are showing in his economic plan.

"The Chancellor's message today was that the economic recovery remains fragile and at risk from a 'cocktail of threats'. Yet it is he who has continued to pursue an economy that is fossil fuel intensive and being propped up by foreign investment.

The Chancellor just doesn't get it. Wales has enormous potential to develop its economy through investment in renewable energy and building on local opportunities for growth. Instead of offering the Chinese huge subsidies to build new nuclear power stations as in the case, that money could be invested in clean green energy technologies and supporting local businesses threatened by cuts to the renewable energy industry. 

 A strong economy is a sustainable economy, where money stays in local communities, and there are no hidden clean up costs for future generations. Greens in Wales are ready to take our place in the Senedd next May and push the Welsh Government to ensure our neglected communities reap the benefits of a greener economy."

Pippa Bartolotti, the lead list candidate for South East Wales in this year’s Wales Assembly Elections, has voiced concerns over inequality in Wales.

Bartolotti said, “We are seeing the pay gap widen for young people and ethnic minorities in particular. There is also a real worry for women in part-time work earning ‘poverty pay’: in several constituencies in Wales more than 70% of women in part-time employment earn less than the living wage. Half of the people living in poverty in Wales live in working households. A green voice in the Senedd would ensure an ever-stronger focus in reducing inequality in Wales. The priority of the Greens in Newport is not only to close the pay gap for women Wales-wide but also to increase pay and employment rates of our ethnic minority groups and youth. The economy of Newport stands to benefit from the city being a more equal place to live and work.”

Bartolotti added, “The current leadership in Wales has failed to set out a clear economic strategy aimed at poverty reduction in Wales. In the Senedd, the Wales Green Party would focus on tackling poverty in our communities through a strong, long-term economic policy.”

Wales Green Party is also working to support the local LGBT community in Newport and elsewhere in South Wales. Adam Smith, who is based in Newport, recently launched Welsh Green Pride, a campaign group for LGBTIQ+ rights within the Wales Green Party. Smith, whose key priority ‘Blood ban’ campaign has recently gained the support of local media in Newport, said:

“It is a disgrace that minority groups are treated as second class citizens in Wales. Whilst this carries on, Wales remains an unequal society on a fundamental level. When it is officially reported that blood donors are in short supply yet gay and bisexual men are stopped from donating blood, it just shows how bad things still are. Health in Wales is devolved, and a green voice in the Senedd would ensure Wales leads the way to the rest of the UK in health and equality going forward.”

For further information or images, please contact regional campaign team press officer MirkaVirtanen@walesgreenparty.com or call Wales Green Party press officer KimBryan@walesgreenparty.com on 07874260407.

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 David Cameron gave evidence to a parliamentary committee about the Swansea Tidal Lagoon, the Prime Minster suggested that his views over the viability of the scheme may have changed.

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In response to David Cameron's change of heart regarding the Swansea Tidal Lagoon, Lisa Rapado,  Wales Green Party Candidate for South Wales West and Neath Constituency Candidate.

"David Cameron has given has given a thinly veiled warning that the Swansea Tidal Lagoon may now be dead in the water. This is yet another sign that his 'greenest government ever' just doesn't get the need for an urgent transition to cleaner, safer energy."

"Greens believe it is wrong to look at investment in innovative forms of generation just in terms of the cost to today's consumers. Decades of this political short termism has brought us dangerously close to a climate disaster.

"We know that too many people are struggling to afford their energy bills. But short sighted cuts, bean counting, and delays to vital investment in clean generation are not the answer.

Alice Hooker Stroud, leader of the Wales Green Party said;

"The Wales Green Party's vision is for a Wales where we generate more energy locally, sell it locally, and create jobs locally. This democratisation of energy, along with investment in large scale renewables, energy storage and energy efficiency is the real way to end fuel poverty, and to leave a legacy for future generations that we can be proud of."

Notes to editors:

1. Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd are involved in negotiations with DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) to agree to a subsidised 'strike price' for the energy generated by the proposed Swansea Tidal Lagoon. This consists of a direct subsidy from consumers. This guaranteed return on investment will, they argue, demonstrate the viability of lagoons, laying the groundwork for future tidal lagoons to compete for future subsidies in an open market.
2. David Cameron has previously been quoted as being 'totally behind' the lagoon. It featured prominently in the Chancellor's 2014 budget statement, but was not mentioned in 2015.

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