World leading standards for operational and legacy industrial emissions

During their party conference, Plaid Cymru announced plans for their first hundred days of Government, should they win the Welsh election. Having now formed the Government, we hope to work with them and other Members of the Senedd to achieve some of those priorities. This is the last of three posts outlining opportunities which could help them to do that. Focussed on industrial emissions; Wales could be a world leader in emissions standards which creates a much cleaner, forward looking domestic industry which will be in high demand now and for decades to come.

By continuing to use coal in sectors where it can be more challenging to replace it, like cement production, risks just offshoring the mining – and the pollution – abroad. Alongside the new electric arc furnace for steel production at Port Talbot, a low-carbon cement sector would create a heavy industry in Wales ready for a Net-Zero economy. This would also open up export markets for Welsh industry to meet the growing demand for green steel and cement in the EU, driven by the incoming mandatory lifecycle carbon reporting for buildings and green standards.

Meanwhile, Wales’s mining legacy means large amounts of abandoned mine methane are leaking from coal seams long after mining has finished. Rapidly reducing these leaks is vital for a stable climate, especially since former Welsh mines produce an estimated 49% of the UK’s abandoned mine methane.

The Government’s industrial strategy must support Wales’ two cement works to switch coal for alternative fuels and use different ingredients for cement clinker to reduce the energy needed to make cement. Negotiating this with stakeholders early on will be key to leading the way in industrial decarbonisation.

The EU has already set rules to mitigate methane leaks by 2030; Wales should adopt similar rules to stop the leakage here.

These recommendations would help the new Government in the following areas of Plaid Cymru's first 100 days commitments:

• Economy – The job of a new National Development Agency should include cleaning up heavy industry. Replacing coal in the cement industry would make Wales an international leader. The expert panel setting up this agency should include specialists in industrial decarbonisation.

• Tackling the climate and nature emergencies – The Climate and Nature Action Plan for Wales should include plans to stop Abandoned Mine Methane leaks. Since we are not directly measuring how much methane is leaking into the air right now, solving this is a vital part of reaching net zero.