Voluntary sector

Green Skills for a Net Zero Wales

How do we build green skills for a Net Zero Wales?

Last week, a few members of the Cynnal Cymru team attended Green Skills for a Net Zero Wales led by Business in the Community. In this breakfast briefing about the Green Skills agenda in Wales, likeminded organisations met to discuss green skills, with an address from the Minister of Economy in Wales, Vaughan Gething. Cynnal Cymru facilitated round tables with senior leaders in business of all sizes across Wales to exchange ideas on how everyone in Wales can grow a skilled workforce that meets Wales’ net zero commitments.  

What are Wales’ Net Zero Commitments?  

As part of the All Wales Plan 2021-25, organisations across every sector have pledged to make changes towards a net zero economy. In order to achieve a net zero economy, Wales as a whole needs to reduce our total emissions in 2030 by at least 90% relative to the baseline year, 2019-20.

How can we do this?

A key message in the event was championing the notion that green skills are not just about technical skills or the creation of new jobs. At Cynnal Cymru, we believe in a well-rounded approach to sustainable change, which is why we have a Fair Work team leading Living Wage Wales and a just transition to sustainable changes.  

Since joining Cynnal Cymru, I have attended and led events such as a Net Zero Skills round table for the Open University, a steering group for the IEMA green careers hub, and a Mainstreaming Equality for a Just Transition evidence panel. Through these conversations and research, I have come to realise that if we define green skills narrowly – only as technical jobs in energy and transport, for example – we will alienate people and will not reach our Net Zero transition goals. The UK economy, like many others, relies on sectors such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, construction, creative arts and more, which also need to be a part of this transition. Our focus must be on supporting existing sectors to upskill and re-skill their existing workforces so that huge communities don’t miss out on being part of a Net Zero economy.  

If we define green skills so narrowly – only as technical jobs in energy and transport, for example – we will alienate people and will not reach our Net Zero transition goals.

So why aren’t we doing this?

I noticed that organisations:  

  • Don’t have the time to think about green skills  
  • Don’t know where to start with these conversations or changes  
  • Don’t know how green skills apply to them  

I think this can be linked back to the understanding that every job can be green.  The Welsh Government is currently taking consultations on how to achieve net zero skills across sector. Cynnal Cymru is a member of the SME Taskforce for Climate, alongside other small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). As part of my work on this taskforce, I am educating workplaces across sectors on the ways they can understand their own skillset in relation to net zero.

Sign up for Cynnal Cymru’s newsletter to discover actions for nature or get in contact for how we can support you directly in your sustainability journey.

Karolina joined Cynnal Cymru in 2021 as our Sustainability Advisor to provide consultancy support to the public and private sectors on how to become more sustainable in their operations. She represents Cynnal Cymru on the SME Taskforce for the Climate.

Green Skills for a Net Zero Wales Read More »

Welsh Charity Awards 2022 – open for nominations

The Welsh Charity Awards are finally back! The awards, organised by WCVA, are a celebration of the vital work that voluntary organisations do in Wales.

There has been a two-year hiatus since the first awards, and in that time the voluntary sector has become even more essential. In the face of multiple crises affecting society, charities and volunteers have pulled together to make a difference to the lives of people across Wales. 

From communities organising to protect their most vulnerable through flooding and lockdowns, to organisations changing their services to feed their communities during the pandemic, our voluntary sector has proven again and again that it is a vital force for progress and change in Wales.

We think there’s no better time for the Welsh Charity Awards to return and give these inspirational people and organisations the recognition they deserve.

So has a charity, social enterprise or volunteer made a difference to your life over the past few years? 

Maybe you’ve worked with an organisation who’s set a real example of good practise for the wider sector? 

Maybe one of your volunteers is working tirelessly to help you and your cause?

Make sure they get the recognition they deserve – nominate them for a Welsh Charity Award. The deadline for nominations is 20 September 2022. For more information and how to nominate, visit www.welshcharityawards.cymru

Further information is available at welshcharityawards.cymru

Welsh Charity Awards 2022 – open for nominations Read More »

Two people standing outside litter picking hub in Anglesey

Eco-park strives for a tidier and eco-conscious Anglesey

A joint litter picking event organised by Orthios park in Anglesey and Keep Wales Tidy is on the horizon and looking for enthusiastic participants. The event is all in the name of cleaning up the local community and making things as easy as possible to litter pick in the Anglesey area, with the launch of their new litter picking hub.

Volunteers from the local area along with staff from Orthios and Keep Wales Tidy will be meeting at Penrhos Beach car park at 10am on Saturday 2 October, working their way along the beach front area and collecting over as much litter as possible along the way, and hopefully in time for the morning coffee, just look out for the Orthios flags.

Orthios is all about creating sustainable solutions to processing waste in a socially responsible and eco-conscious way, so the partnership with Keep Wales Tidy makes perfect sense.

Their litter picking hub is one of many across Wales, offering all the equipment needed to carry out a safe clean-up.  It will make litter picking as easy as possible in the Anglesey area, providing everything from litter pickers, hoops, hi-vis vests to bin bags.

More than 100 hubs have already been set up as part of Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning ‘Love Wales’) – an inclusive movement led by Keep Wales Tidy and local authority partners to eradicate litter and waste. The hubs enable budding litter heroes to borrow free equipment to carry out a safe clean-up.

Keep Wales Tidy aims to tackle the issue of litter head on, making it easier than ever to borrow equipment and take positive action to improve the community.

Orthios CEO Sean McCormick said:

“The climate challenge can seem daunting but the fact is that we can all do our bit to ease carbon emissions. Making free use of our Keep Wales Tidy litter picking kit is one way to do this.

It not only keeps Anglesey looking good but also ensures any rubbish gathered gets properly recycled – cutting carbon emissions by reducing the need for raids on Earth’s finite resources, including fossil fuels, to make entirely new stuff.”

Information on Orthios and its mission statement can be found on their website: www.orthios.com

Eco-park strives for a tidier and eco-conscious Anglesey Read More »

Greenstream Flooring launch ‘The Better Greener Project’ for RCT residents

Greenstream Flooring has secured funding through the WCVA Active Inclusion fund and the Welsh Government European Social Fund to support residents of Rhondda Cynon Taf RCT who are over 25 and unemployed or economically inactive to learn about the green economy.

The active inclusion fund provides grants for projects in Wales that help disadvantage people get back into employment. The fund is an important way for voluntary organisations to tackle unemployment in the wake of Covid-19.

The training will take place at the Greenstream Flooring offices and warehouses over a three-week period where participants will learn about the green economy whilst gaining skills and experience in the sector.

For further information, visit the Greenstream website.

Greenstream Flooring launch ‘The Better Greener Project’ for RCT residents Read More »

Scroll to Top
Skip to content