How to respond to the climate change emergency has been laid out in a ten year plan prepared by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Members signed off the action plan to help the authority respond to key priority areas in a bid to meet Welsh Government targets on carbon neutrality by 2030.

The actions aim to promote a carbon neutral and resource efficiency approach to the authority’s work and within the park, with staff being involved in the ideas and plans chosen.

It includes ‘greening’ its fleet, equipment and buildings, enhancing the carbon store within the park, promoting sustainable transport and active travel with electric vehicle points and supporting coatal buses, improving sustainable procurement practice and reducing waste along with community and public service collaboration.

The actions will be reviewed annually and timescales for some activities have been extended due to the impact of Covid-19.

Authority member Rosie Plummer said that because of the current lockdown situation “many behaviours have changed” and she asked that more emphasis on “how we could ‘green’ our behaviours” be added to the plan.

Dr Plummer highlighted virtual meetings and “harnessing digital facilities better” which would see a reduction in staff travel that could be continued in the future along with the potential for remote site monitoring of some conservation areas.

“It’s a tremendous piece of work,” she added.

However, county council member Reg Owens warned that the current meeting system was “making the best of a bad thing” and it had “put up a barrier between the public and officers of the National Park and the county council.”

Clr. Owens added: “I wouldn’t want anybody to think that this is a better way of working.”