Updated by: Rachel Dolman, Welsh Government

What have we learnt from the data in the last year?

This year we have widened the range of information included in the narrative. However, much of the commentary is the same as last year’s report, as the data are not updated on an annual basis and what was included last year is still the most relevant and up to date. We are continuing to work with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales to consider potential data sources to include in this narrative in future.

Whilst there is a long term trend of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest data shows an increase in emissions in 2016 compared with 2015, which is largely driven by a recovery in natural gas power generation following numerous outages to implement efficiency upgrades in 2015. Energy supply, business and industrial processes remain the key drivers of greenhouse gas emissions.

The installation of renewable energy generation capacity has increased in pace in recent years with the capacity of technologies such as solar panels more than doubling in the two years up to 2016, and onshore wind capacity showing a 50 per cent increase.

Referrals of potential victims of modern slavery increased on the previous year, with 193 referrals in 2017, although it is likely that the increase this year is due to improvements in the data collection. Also, it’s not possible to disentangle improved reporting on real increases in incidence.

New data showed that around one third of adults have heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Vaccine uptake in young infants remained high and stable. For the tenth consecutive year, uptake of both the ‘5 in 1’ and pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations (PCV) remained above 95 per cent in children at one year of age, whilst MMR uptake was just below 95% for the first dose at two years.

There were over 21,000 international students from over 160 countries at Welsh Higher Education institutions in 2016/17. This is a decrease compared with the previous year.

There was a slight fall in the number of asylum seekers in 2017, although figures have generally been increasing since 2011. Up to March 2018 a total of 720 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Wales under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

Global Context - United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

On 1 January 2016, the world began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to address urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The SDGs emphasise a universal agenda that requires all UN member states – both rich and poor alike - to take action to support sustainable development.

There are many factors which dictate whether Wales is becoming a more globally responsible nation.

The Well-being of Future Generations Act, with its Welsh specific well-being goals, provides a framework for Wales’ contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For the most part the other six narrative reports, through their assessment of our progress towards the national well-being goals, demonstrate our overall contribution as a nation to the international sustainable development agenda. For example, we report elsewhere on national trends on issues such as poverty, inequalities and decent work. This narrative on “A Globally Responsible Wales” therefore focuses on areas that are most relevant to the global agenda in particular.

The 46 National Indicators for Wales have also been mapped for indicative purposes against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to help you navigate between progress here in Wales, and the relationship to each of the SDGs.

National Indicators - Mapping to Well-being and UN Sustainable Development Goals

People in Wales are concerned about climate change

The 2016-17 National Survey for Wales shows that 67 per cent of people were concerned about climate change, with the vast majority considering this was partly or mainly due to human activity. 47 per cent of people asked said that they had reduced the energy used at home in the last 12 months and 25 per cent had cut down the amount they travel by car. However just 3 per cent reported they had actively volunteered to help protect the environment. In addition, with the co-operation of individual households, local authority recycling rates are continuing to rise.

Greenhouse gas emissions have reduced since the 1990s

Considering greenhouse gases, in 2016, it was estimated that emissions totalled 47.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent, a fall of 14 per cent compared to the 1990 base year emissions. The latest data shows an increase in greenhouse gas emission in 2016 compared with 2015, which is largely driven by a recovery in natural gas power generation following numerous outages to implement efficiency upgrades in 2015.

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions during this period is mainly due to:

• efficiencies in energy generation and business sector heating
• natural gas replacing coal
• chemical industry abatement
• variations in manufacturing output (e.g. in iron and steel, bulk chemical production)

Around two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions continue to be as a result of energy supply, business and industry.

Data relating to the greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the consumption of goods and services in Wales will be produced in future in line with the requirements of section 41 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 at the end of the first carbon budgeting period.

Renewable energy generation has been on the rise and there’s some evidence that homes are becoming more energy efficient

The use of low carbon energy generation (of which renewable energy is one form) together with the more efficient use of energy helps to make us both ecologically and economically resilient to change. Reduction in demand for energy generation from fossil fuels helps limit greenhouse gas emissions, which will have an impact on the environment and on future climate change.

The capacity for renewable energy generation has risen in the last decade with an increased pace in recent years. A recent study of energy generation in Wales showed that in 2016 there was 3,357 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy generation capacity. The vast majority of this is renewable electricity (85 per cent or 2,854 MW) whilst the capacity of renewable heat installations has nearly doubled in the last two years to reach 504 megawatts (MW).

In terms of the types of technologies for renewable energy being installed, capacity grew most between 2014 and 2016 in solar PV panels (more than doubled) and onshore wind (a 50 per cent increase). Whilst the capacity of renewable heat installations remain small compared to renewable electricity this period saw a 65 per cent increase in the capacity of biomass installations and a 52 per cent increase in the capacity of heat pumps.

Welsh soils are an important carbon store protecting against climate change

An increasingly important aspect of soil is the concentration of carbon. This is because soil can hold carbon for thousands of years and therefore help protect the earth against climate change.

The soils in Wales store an estimated 410 million tonnes of carbon. The concentration of carbon in our soil is generally stable. According to the latest figures from 2013-16 the concentration of carbon and organic matter in topsoil was 107.6 grams of carbon per Kg (gC per Kg). This is not significantly different to the concentrations found in 1998 and 2007: 109.1 and 109.4 grams of carbon per kg respectively.

Our ecological footprint shows that our key natural resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished

The ecological footprint of a country represents the area of land needed to provide raw materials, energy and food to supply that country as well as absorb the pollution and waste created. It is measured in global hectares. It serves as an indicator of the total environmental burden that a society places on the planet.

The last ecological footprint for Wales was calculated in 2011 and it was 10.05 million global hectares. This is roughly 5 times the size of Wales and equivalent to 3.28 global hectares per person in Wales.

If everyone in the world were to consume the same as the average Welsh resident, it is estimated that just over 2.5 earths would be required to provide the resources and absorb the wastes. This is slightly lower than the figure for the UK, which is 2.7 earths.

Household food waste has been falling

The UN SDG “Responsible Consumption and Production” has a target on reducing food waste.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) published data on Household Food Waste in January 2017 which reported that there is evidence that household food waste levels reduced between 2009 and 2015 (by 12 per cent on a per person basis) and are now lower than the rest of the UK (by around 9 per cent).

The WRAP report suggest a number of reasons why household food waste levels may be lower in Wales than in the rest of the UK including local authorities in Wales having more widespread and better used separate food waste collections. Around 90 per cent of Welsh households have access to a separate food waste collection, compared to just over 25 per cent for the UK as a whole. Use of these collections in Wales, as measured by the proportion of household food waste collected via these collections, is also much higher in Wales than for the UK as a whole.

Some adults in Wales are facing food poverty and concerned about affording food

The UN SDG ‘End Hunger’ aims to end hunger and achieve food security and improve nutrition.

Research shows that in Wales, some people are reporting food poverty. The 2016-17 National Survey for Wales reported that 1 per cent of households had received food from a food bank in the last 12 months. In 2017-18, it also reported 4 per cent of adults said there was a day in the previous fortnight where they had needed to go without a substantial meal due to lack of money. The Food Standards Agency reported 20 per cent of people in Wales worry about running out of food, and in the past 12 months 14 per cent had run out of food before they could afford to buy more.

Wales has three world heritage sites of outstanding universal value

The UN SDG ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’ states the importance of protecting and safeguarding the world’s natural heritage.

World Heritage Sites are places that the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has inscribed on a list of international sites because of their outstanding universal value, the importance of which is so great as to transcend national boundaries.

Wales currently has three world heritage sites — the Castles and Town Walls of Edward I in Gwynedd at Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech in north-west Wales; Blaenavon Industrial Landscape in south-east Wales; and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal in north-east Wales. None of these sites are listed by UNESCO as in danger in accordance with Article 11 (4) of the Convention.

Schools in Wales are involved in programmes to prepare children for a changing world and to be leaders of change

The UN SDG ‘Quality Education’ recognises the importance of all learners acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality and global citizenship.

Eco-schools is a global programme engaging millions of children across 67 countries. It is designed to empower and inspire young people to make positive environmental changes to their school and wider community, while building on their key skills, including numeracy and literacy, and encompassing Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC). There are currently 51,000 schools in 67 countries participating in the Eco-Schools programme. In Wales, 97 per cent of all the state schools in 2017/18 were registered on the voluntary Eco-Schools programme run by Keep Wales Tidy. Eco-schools can be awarded Bronze, Silver, Green Flag and Platinum status. There were 784 Green Flag schools, with 381 of these reaching Platinum status in 2017/1/8, for long term commitment to the programme [Unpublished data – statistics provided on request by Keep Wales Tidy].

The Global Learning Programme-Wales (GLP-W) is designed to develop and embed global learning (Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC)), in particular in developing children and young people as ethical and informed citizens of Wales and the world. Since 2014, GLP-W has recruited, trained and funded lead schools with expertise in global learning to coordinate networks where teachers from local schools share effective practice, expertise and resources. There are 49 GLP-W lead schools and 445 GLP-W network schools, 53 per cent of pupils on roll in Wales are involved in GLP-W.

There is limited awareness amongst adults of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The 2017-18 National Survey for Wales shows that 34 per cent of adults have heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The figure is similar for adults with children in the household and those without.

People are participating in international sustainable development projects

The UN SDG ‘No Poverty’ recognises the need to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty, including having access to basic services and building resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations.

The Welsh Government’s Wales for Africa programme is intended to support people to be actively involved in international development by working and collaborating with individuals, communities, the third sector and the public sector to make a Welsh contribution to tackling global poverty.

The Wales for Africa 10 year report showed that since 2007 over 160 Welsh managers and leaders have participated in the International Learning Opportunities Programme, sharing 47,300 hours of expertise with African partners. Since 2006, 528 different development projects across 25 African nations have been supported.

Examples of some of the schemes include linking professionals and organisations, to provide teaching or training to help people develop new skills and support themselves and provide solutions to poverty.

A key principle of the International Learning Opportunities Programme is to align placements with the SDGs.

Referrals of potential victims of modern slavery in Wales have increased in recent years

The UN SDGs include a target on “Ending modern slavery and human trafficking”. Slavery is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Modern slavery is the term used within the UK and is defined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Act categorises offences of Slavery, Servitude and Forced or Compulsory Labour and Human Trafficking.

These crimes include holding a person in a position of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, or facilitating their travel with the intention of exploiting them soon after.

Although human trafficking often involves an international cross-border element, it is also possible to be a victim of modern slavery within your own country.

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the recorded incidents of potential victims of slavery to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) continue to increase each year, with more referrals of survivors from the UK and Wales. The NCA judge that the scale of modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK is likely to be increasing steadily but cannot disentangle increases in incidence rate from improved reporting. Therefore they are unable to quantify the overall growth of modern slavery.

In 2017, 193 referrals of potential victims of slavery were reported in Wales. This is a 57 per cent increase on the previous year, and is also higher than in previous years, although the increase in the latest year is probably due to changes in how the data are recorded. It represents 3.7 per cent of all UK referrals. The 193 referrals were comprised of 106 females (55 per cent) and 87 males (45 per cent). There were 109 (56 per cent) individuals referred for adult exploitation categories and 84 (44 per cent) referred for exploitation as a minor.

Female genital mutilation is being increasingly identified in Wales, although may not have occurred recently or within Wales

The UN SDG ‘Gender Equality’ has a target to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).

Female Genital Mutilation (sometimes referred to as female circumcision) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is illegal in the UK under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and the Serious Crime Act 2015 and it is mandatory for staff in the NHS to report all cases in children (under 18s) to the police. It is important to note that if a patient is identified through the delivery of care from the NHS as having had FGM, this does not mean that she had FGM either recently or that the FGM was carried out in the UK.

In 2017-18 a total of 271 women and girls were identified and reported as having had FGM. This compares to 174 for the previous year. The increase is likely to reflect increasing recognition by health professionals. 

Vaccinations uptake in young children continues to be high

The UN SDG Sustainable Development goal ‘Good Health and Well-being’ states the importance of providing access to affordable and essential medicines and vaccines. The World Health Organisation also has a global goal to eliminate measles and rubella, by 2020.

In 2017-18, vaccine uptake in young infants remained high and stable. For the tenth consecutive year, uptake of both the ‘5 in 1’ and pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations remained above 95 per cent in children at one year of age.

The proportion of children who were up to date with their routine immunisations by four years of age remains stable, following a decrease three years in a row.

MMR uptake was just below 95 per cent for the first dose at two years.

The Welsh language is part of a wider global context on minority languages

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is the European convention for the protection and promotion of languages used by traditional minorities. The Welsh Language is in scope of this charter and sustaining the language in Wales contributes to the global protection of minority languages. Following a fall in the 2011 Census, survey data suggest that since then the numbers of Welsh speakers have remained stable, as is the percentage that speaks the language every day.

Wales has wide international academic and research connections, although international student numbers in Wales have declined in recent years

Wales has four universities ranked in the top 500 in the QS World University Rankings. According to the Research and Excellence Framework (REF)’s latest assessment more than three-quarters of all research submitted to REF panels was assessed as being world-leading or internationally excellent.

A large number of students from a range of countries attend Higher Education institutions in Wales. In 2016/17, there were 21,205 international students from over 160 countries, comprising 17.5 per cent of the total student population. This has declined since last year and over the past 5 years. In 2011/12 there were 25,270 international students in Wales, which made up 19.3 per cent of the student population.

Wales provides support to asylum seekers and refugees

Goal 16 of the UN SDGs is to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”.

Complete figures for the numbers of asylum seekers and refugees who are resettled in Wales are not available. However, figures relating to the number of refugees resettled under the Syrian Resettlement Programme, and the number of those currently receiving asylum support, are published.

At the end of 2017, nearly 3,000 asylum seekers were receiving support in Wales. Although it is a slight fall compared to the previous year, the numbers have generally been increasing each year since a low in 2011, and are similar to the levels of the previous high point in 2006.

As at the end of March 2018, a total of 720 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Wales under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.