Business plan 2024-25

Introduction

Our corporate plan, Nature and People Thriving Together, sets out our vision, mission and well-being objectives to 2030 and beyond. This Business Plan sets out what we will do specifically in 2024-25 to deliver against those well-being objectives to meet our vision. The plan has been prepared in line with the Welsh Government Framework Document and the Term of Government Remit Letter.

Welsh Ministers annual allocation of budget, set out in the statement of budgetary provision, has determined the financial resources available to us through direct grant in aid from Government. This is likely to amount to £123.7 million in 2024-25 and compares to the £120.9 million we were originally allocated at the start of 2023/24. Like the rest of the public sector in Wales, inflation has driven up our costs, meaning our funding will not go as far in 2024-25 as previous years.

Against this backdrop, we have had to be realistic when preparing this business plan, taking what we have learned through our organisation-wide prioritisation exercise, to ensure the resources we do have are aligned to activities that have the greatest impact on delivering for nature, climate and minimising pollution.

An outcome-focused organisation

The start of the new corporate plan cycle has enabled us to review our approach to planning and performance. Our refreshed performance management framework will ensure a clear line of sight from the strategic, to the operational and team scale.

We have designed an outcome-focussed approach to measure our progress towards the corporate plan well-being objectives. There are three levels:

strategic and long term – with impacts and strategic indicators defined for 2030
operational and medium term – multi-year planning to reach the ambition of the steps to take and well-being objectives with trend metrics reporting the “health” status over time
operational and short term – annual commitments and key results to show progress in year

Together, these provide an integrated perspective, enabling us to reflect on progress towards our outcomes, identify what is driving delivery, what is hindering progress and where things need to change. We will use these insights, along with information relating to risk appetite, tolerance levels and risk profile, to inform prioritisation and the allocation of resources on an annual basis.

Through 2023/24, we worked collaboratively across the organisation to develop impacts and strategic indicators. We will test these in 2024-25, using them to frame NRW Board strategic deep-dive sessions, while also engaging with partners to share insight and identify opportunities for collaboration. We will finalise these impacts and indicators in the autumn of 2024 and look to implement them from 2025-26 to 2030.

In 2024-25 we will focus on the operational and medium term through the development of the approach to multi-year planning and trend metrics. The multi-year planning will focus on the WBO steps to take, defining metrics which set the stretch to ensure we are on the pathway to meeting the 2030 ambition. Tracking these metrics will provide powerful insight and learning on the progress towards, or the gap between, achieving the long-term strategic impacts and strategic indicators and “turning the curve”. It will highlight those things that need to change not only within NRWs direct control but also beyond, in the work of Government, partners and other public bodies.

When designing our approach to multi-year planning, we will draw out the connectedness between steps to take making sure we draw out the link to social and environmental justice, as well as making sure the assumptions and risks are considered consistently. We will consider with Welsh Government how this multi-year planning exercise builds on the lessons from the baseline exercise and service level agreements. When designing our approach, we will reflect on the changes introduced in the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023 and consider with the trade unions how best to involve them.

The operational multi-year planning metrics will define the stretch that the short-term annual business plan will respond to. The annual business plan will identify those things that need to happen in a year to drive the change we want to see, for example testing new approaches or streamlining processes. This approach is setting us on a pathway to be a different organisation, measuring those things that have most impact and using this to drive our decision making on priorities.

This is our clear direction of travel, but without the multi-year planning, the 2024-25 annual business plan reflects a stepping-stone to our new approach and does not reflect our full ambition. The 2024-25 business plan signals a difference in tone and approach with the annual commitments clearly aligned to the well-being objectives and steps to take. This year we’ve developed as an interim, key deliverables, not key results, which are not as stretching nor as SMART as we would like but we are focussing on developing these for 2025-26. We recognise this change of emphasis is significant and we will need to build the trust and confidence of colleagues in the approach over time. The metrics will undoubtedly evolve becoming more robust as people build capability and develop understanding of how we will use them to inform decision making.

Prioritisation

To prepare us for the new financial year, we have considered both the feedback from colleagues in the Ein Llais colleague survey and the ongoing pressures on public finances to inform an organisation-wide prioritisation exercise. We have applied a number of perspectives: the alignment and impact of activities on delivery of our well-being objectives and steps to take; the statutory drivers of our work; the priorities from the Term of Government Remit Letter; and the application of the Sustainable Development Principle.

By integrating these different perspectives, our intent has been to:

protect those things that only we can do, given our unique set of levers and tools as an environmental regulator and statutory advisor
protect our work for nature, given we are the only public body in Wales with this remit
focus on those activities which deliver multiple benefits for nature, climate and pollution minimisation
build on the investment we have already made to improve capacity in some areas

In summer 2024 we will start a process of formal consultation with the Trade Unions on proposals to change our structures through reducing the number of posts (not people) to secure our financial stability and resilience for the next three years.

Our people

Achieving the vision, mission and well-being objectives set out in the corporate plan will only be possible by supporting our people and putting our values at the centre of everything that we do. We will maintain our focus on enabling our colleagues to access learning and development opportunities to grow and be safe in their roles. As part of this and the wider NRW2030 agenda, we will offer an enhanced digital learning experience and improve our e-learning offering. We will also continue to deliver our People Transformation Programme and in particular, continue our focus on developing our skills and long-term workforce planning for the organisation and embedding practices that reinforce inclusion and diversity.

What we will deliver in 2024-25

Under each well-being objective, we have identified a series of steps to take that define the outcomes or the change we want to see by 2030.

We know we will not be able to realise the outcomes of each well-being objective or step to take straight away. In these early years, we need to lay the foundations by doing the preparatory work such as interrogating the evidence base or developing and testing different tools and approaches that will enable us to accelerate delivery in future years. Not all the steps to take have been included in this business plan, this doesn’t mean they are not important. All steps to take will be included in the multi-year planning exercise and will be considered in future years prioritisation.

In preparing the plan, we have drawn on the insight from the prioritisation exercise alongside the Term of Government Remit Letter, Welsh Government Grant Award Letters, and the Welsh Government budget allocation to identify those things that we will do in 2024-25.

We have identified annual commitments and key deliverables for a suite of steps to take under each well-being objective. The annual commitments set the ambition of what we will do in 2024-25 to progress towards the step to take 2030 outcome. The key deliverables will allow us to track progress, enabling us to assess if the commitments are being achieved.

Annex 1 sets out the annual commitments and key deliverables for each well-being objective.

Changing our ways of working

When we prepared the corporate plan, we recognised that aligning resources and processes behind the three well-being objectives would require us to change and evolve how we work.

We have started that journey over the course of 2023/24 and have introduced a number of changes. We have adopted a new strategic risk register focussing on the risks to delivery of the corporate plan vision and mission; we have changed the terms of reference for the Board, Executive Team (ET) and business groups to provide a clearer focus on outcomes; we have established the Planning and Resources Group to ensure better integration and prioritisation; and we have defined the remit of the Executive Director Well-being leadership role. We will continue to strengthen our risk management, assurance and governance drawing on our practical experience of using the new risk management tools as well as learning from our partners.

Our success in delivering the corporate plan is dependent on ensuring we have the right operating model for the organisation with our vision, mission and values at the centre of all we do. We know this will take time and energy, which is why we have established NRW2030, our programme for transforming our organisation to make sure we are well placed to tackle the challenges ahead of us. In the early phases, the programme will have a small budget and we will seek invest to save funding opportunities from Welsh Government to accelerate delivery. In 2024-25, we will start to focus on stabilising our ICT infrastructure, creating a more user friendly, integrated approach for colleagues and stakeholders and initiating process and system improvements working with colleagues in prioritised activities with data at the core. Investing in NRW2030 now will enable us to release efficiencies in the longer-term to re-invest in delivery.

Our funding for 2024-25

The majority of our funding comes from Welsh Government through Grant in Aid with a proportion allocated to revenue and capital. Commercial activities, principally timber sales, generate commercial income of £52.6 million, while charges generated through regulated activities amount to £46.4 million. We are also in receipt of specific Welsh Government Grants of £36.4 million, and grants from external funding bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and EU funds secured under the LIFE programme, amounting to £8.6 million.

Through our work with Welsh Government officials in 2020-2022 on the Baseline Exercise and Service Level Agreements, we identified opportunities to improve the way in which our funding model for Grant in Aid and Timber income operate. Traditionally, we have received individual flood and non-flood grant in aid allocations for both capital and revenue funding. From 2024-25 this ring-fenced allocation of grant in aid for flood capital and revenue will be removed. This will enable us to adopt more integrated investment decisions at a catchment or landscape scale, securing multiple outcomes for nature, climate and pollution prevention and resulting in better value for money.

Timber income fluctuates month-to-month, year-on-year. With the removal of the ability to carry over timber income from one year to the next, we are no-longer shielded from this instability. For 2024-25, Ministers have agreed a short-term approach setting a timber income threshold of £33m. If the income drops below this threshold, they will fund the differential through Grant in Aid. During the course of the year, we will work with officials to develop a longer-term funding model that secures investment in the infrastructure and resources on the land in our care thus enabling us to achieve a sustainable timber harvest year on year that reflects our overall purpose of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources.

Next steps

Good performance management should liberate and facilitate delivery, celebrating successes while driving the greatest return for investment on the things that matter most.

We will supplement our traditional quarterly reporting process by bringing together our senior leaders each quarter to share perspectives on performance, celebrating success and collaborating on finding solutions to any problems. This reflective approach should lead to a more agile way of working, which encourages cooperation between departments and will inform the quarterly reports to our Finance Committee and the NRW Board.

Throughout the year, the NRW Board will undertake three strategic sessions to scrutinise progress towards each well-being objective. The sessions will be used to undertake a deep dive using the impact statements, strategic indicators and wider context as the foundation. This will ensure that discussion remains focussed on understanding and achieving our vision and the change we want to see.

Scrutiny at these strategic sessions will primarily focus on NRW delivery but will also reflect on the wider context of Welsh Government, partnerships, societal factors and global changes which influence the wider systems within which we operate. This will enable strategic conversations on the challenges and opportunities to our delivery, and discussion of potential solutions.

The NRW Board sessions, alongside the quarterly assessment of performance by Leadership and Executive Teams, will demonstrate scrutiny of performance that together will inform the 2024-25 NRW Annual Report and Accounts.

ANNEX 1: What we will deliver in 2024-25

Wellbeing Objective 1: Nature is Recovering

By 2030 the change we want to see: the decline in biodiversity is halted; effective regulation, habitat restoration and nature-based solutions contribute to increasingly resilient ecosystems enabling adaptation to change, benefiting people’s well-being. (Impact Statement 1)

2024-25 will be a landmark year for nature’s recovery in Wales with Welsh Government setting the strategic direction for the next decade or more through two major pieces of work: the White Paper defining the approach to environmental principles, governance and biodiversity targets and the Sustainable Farming Scheme setting out how land managers will be rewarded for nature positive land management.

The annual commitments reflect our contribution to these crucial pieces of work, as well as delivery of the Nature Network Programme and the process for designation of a new national park. These set the foundations for meeting the 2030 global targets for nature on land, sea and in freshwaters. We have not included all the steps to take in this year’s business plan nor the vital underpinning work we do we do to protect nature. We will continue for example to undertake environmental monitoring and reporting, respond to planning applications, issue permits, undertake compliance visits and where necessary take enforcement action.

Area of Focus: Nature being protected

Step to take: Improving the condition of features at protected terrestrial, marine and freshwater sites through using our advisory and regulatory tools, financial incentives and undertaking monitoring to evaluate effectiveness.

Commitment for 2024-25: Evaluate the NRW Nature Networks Programme to inform future investment for protected sites.

Key deliverables:

Increased understanding of the effectiveness and efficiency of activity delivered across the NRW Nature Networks programme through evaluation of 70% of current and previous activity by end of Q2 to establish the baseline
Increased effectiveness of future NRW Nature Network’s activity through identification of priorities and development of approaches to delivery by end of Q3 (informed by outcomes of deliverable 1).

Next step for 2025-26: Prioritise actions which have the greatest impact on the condition of SSSI features.

Area of Focus: Nature being protected

Step to take: Extending the protection and management of at least 30 per cent of land, freshwater and sea for nature through identifying opportunities to enlarge and better connect the series of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Commitment for 2024-25: Synthesise evidence to identify priorities for notification and renotification of sites contributing to the 30:30 target.

Key deliverables:

Increased the understanding of the extent and connectivity of the current SSSI network through completing an assessment of all sites by end of Q3
Increased advice to accelerate notifications and re-notifications through the publication of the SSSI Notification Handbook
Increased the effectiveness of the allocation of investment for delivering an enhanced notification programme through the delivery of a costed programme based on evidence from KD1 and KD2

Next step for 2025-26: Prioritise opportunities for notification of SSSIs and the use of other measures outside of the SSSI series.

Area of Focus: Nature being protected

Step to take: Protecting species at the greatest risk of extinction through using our advisory and regulatory tools, working in partnership and monitoring to evaluate effectiveness.

Commitment for 2024-25: Develop an understanding of the intervention impact of 11 of the place-based Natur am Byth partnership programme projects to refine conservation delivery.

Key deliverables:

Increased understanding of the effectiveness of the 11 Natur am Byth place-based projects through testing the impact measurement framework and refining the product.
Increased the skills of all relevant programme staff through the delivery of Species Recovery Assessment training (to prepare for full scale review of species recovery targets in 25/26) (completed by Q2)
Increased understanding of the 67 Natur am Byth target species through the completion of the review of all ecological monitoring plans

Next step for 2025-26: Within the Natur am Byth partnership programme, refine conservation interventions to those with the greatest impact on the 67 target species.

Area of Focus: Nature being restored

Step to take: Accelerating improvements to the condition of the Marine Protected Area Network through robust monitoring and investigations, evidence, advice and working with others on project delivery

Commitment for 2024-25: Consolidate understanding of the condition of features of Welsh only marine SACs and SPAs to inform prioritisation

Key deliverables:

Increased advice to support improvement of the management of marine SACs and SPAs through updating 12 out of 19 conservation advice packages
Increased understanding into declines in specific species and habitats through undertaking investigations under the Marine Nature Networks programme, setting out findings and recommendations in a series of reports

Next step for 2025-26: Prioritise actions within Welsh only marine SACs and SPAs, targeting those with the potential to have the greatest impact on feature condition.

Area of Focus: Nature being restored

Step to take: Accelerating action for nature’s recovery at a landscape scale through sharing our evidence and expertise with National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other partners

Commitment for 2024-25: Integrate nature recovery evidence into the proposed new National Park process and management of existing AONBs and National Parks to improve decision making for nature

Key deliverables:

Increased our advice on nature recovery action through the designation of a new National Park via the public consultation on the proposed boundary and final designation recommendations
Increased the amount of advice on opportunities to integrate actions to address the nature and climate emergency into management plans of National Parks and AONBs through a refresh of the Designated Landscapes Management Plan Guidance
Increased knowledge of the effectiveness of prioritised action through supporting delivery of the initial recommendations of the 30:30 Designated Landscapes Expert Group for Wales

Next step for 2025-26: Provide recommendations to Government on the designation of a new National Park including how a National Park can better deliver for nature recovery in the area, and establish processes to track improvements.

Area of Focus: Nature is respected and valued in decision-making by

Step to take: Delivering multiple benefits and opportunities for nature, people and the rural economy through supporting Welsh Government in the development and implementation of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, providing evidence and expertise

Commitment for 2024-25: Provide evidence and expertise to inform the development of the Welsh Government Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) and identify with Welsh Government what support services may be required

Key deliverables:

Following WG announcements on 14 May on delay to start of scheme, we will confirm deliverables in quarter one

Next step for 2025-26: Develop the delivery model for NRW to support the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Area of Focus: NRW as an exemplar nature positive organisation

Step to take: Ensuring nature’s protection and recovery is integrated into NRW's financial and business decisions through applying the lessons learnt from others on effective tools and frameworks

Commitment for 2024-25: Implementing No Mow May, piloting new approaches to working with nature on the land and assets that we manage, identifying prioritised recommendations

Key deliverable:

Decreased the amount of mowing on NRW flood risk management assets through:
(a) 70% of assets not mown during No Mow May
(b) identification of alternative approaches to reduce mowing and work with nature, initiating pilots at key flood risk management assets (number to be determined)

Next step for 2025-26: Implementing revised programme.

Wellbeing Objective 2: Communities are resilient to climate change

By 2030 the change we want to see: sustained action on the causes, risks and impacts of climate change means nature and people are enabled and empowered to adapt, alleviating the effects on people’s well-being (Impact Statement 2)

Welsh Government has set the strategic direction for climate action in Net Zero Wales, where all parts of the public, private and third sector are expected to play their part to drive action. Through NetZero Industry Wales and the industry clusters, there is increasing focus on decarbonisation of industrial processes and development of alternative low-carbon energy sources. Onshore and offshore renewable energy developers are continuing to actively explore and develop new schemes, including on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. With additional investment from Welsh Government the National Peatland Programme will be scaled up to achieve the ambition of 1800ha/year being restored by 2030/31.

Our annual commitments for 2024-25 reflect our contribution to these crucial pieces of work as well as delivering priority actions in our net zero plan particularly through our procurement and contract management service. This year we will deliver the new flood warning system for communities across Wales and complete the Newport flood defence scheme protecting 814 properties. We have not included all the steps to take in this year’s business plan. We will continue to manage the land in our care, producing timber and creating new woodlands on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, restoring peatland and adapting to climate change across all our sites. Our Adfywio programme will continue to focus on reducing our carbon use in fleet and facilities, and we will continue to roll out carbon literacy training across the organisation.

Area of Focus: Nature based solutions being widely adopted

Step to take: Restoring peatland through the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP) working with delivery partners, including on the land in our care using a range of advisory and regulatory tools, financial incentives and undertaking monitoring to evaluate effectiveness

Commitment for 2024-25: Invest in capacity building to enable delivery in 2024-25 and future expansion of the National Peatland Action Programme

Key deliverables:

Increased the area of damaged peatland being restored across Wales by 15% (from a baseline of 600ha to roughly 700ha)
Increased the effectiveness of our input into the land use planning system, to reduce the negative effect of development on peatland through the production of an NRW policy position on Planning Policy Wales Edition 12 (to affect change in 2025-26)
Increased the development of shovel ready peatland restoration projects by increasing the funding available through our competitive development grant by 100%

Next step for 2025-26: Expand area of peatland restoration and other enabling priorities in the National Peatland Programme.

Area of Focus: Nature based solutions being widely adopted

Step to take: Stimulating restoration of marine and coastal habitats such as saltmarsh, sand dunes, sea grass and native oyster reef through working with delivery partners, using a range of advisory and regulatory tools, financial incentives and undertaking monitoring to evaluate effectiveness

Commitment for 2024-25: Strengthen capacity and evidence informing spatial prioritisation to enable effective future restoration within marine and coastal habitats

Key deliverables:

Increased the amount of advice to external partners by consulting on and publishing guidance on marine and coastal restoration projects (by end of Q1)
Increased the evidence base to support decision making on restoration project locations by refining opportunity maps for seagrass and native oyster (by end of Q4)

Next step for 2025-26: Work with others to enable effective restoration in the most suitable marine and coastal habitat locations.

Area of Focus: The risks of climate change being managed and adapted

Step to take: Reducing the risk to life from flooding to people and communities from main rivers, reservoirs and the sea, through the delivery of flood alleviation schemes

Commitment for 2024-25: Deliver capital projects and sustain levels of protection for properties to reduce flood risk

Key deliverables:

Decreased the flood risk to 814 properties in Newport, through the completion of the work on the Stephenson Street Flood Alleviation Scheme
Sustained flood protection to 800 properties through non-routine capital maintenance of existing assets/defences

Next step for 2025-26: Deliver prioritised capital works to reduce flood risk in line with programme priorities.

Area of Focus: The risks of climate change being managed and adapted

Step to take: Reducing the risk to life from flooding through issuing flood warnings that meet the changing needs of communities and maintaining and improving the 24/7 Flood Warning Service

Commitment for 2024-25: Improve the Flood Warning Service and Telemetry System to deliver efficiencies and maintain continuity of service to customers

Key deliverables:

Sustained the operational flood warning service offered to 139,000 properties through the delivery of the new flood warning system (by end of Q2) (withdrawing from the Environment Agency managed service)
Sustained delivery to all customers of telemetry data through migrating to the new data portal (by end of Q3)

Next step for 2025-26: Evolve the Flood Warning Service, delivering enhancements, further efficiencies and improvements for customers.

Area of Focus: The risks of climate change being managed and adapted

Step to take: Reducing the risk to life from flooding through managing our flood assets and infrastructure for current and future flood risk and planning for change through maintaining and adapting the flood assets and infrastructure we are accountable for

Commitment for 2024-25: Review the prioritisation approach for flood asset maintenance and management to ensure our investment is risk based

Key deliverables:

Increased the effectiveness and efficiency of the allocation of routine flood maintenance revenue through the implementation of the new Risk-Based Revenue Allocation Model (RBRAM)
Increased the effectiveness and efficiency of the allocation of flood asset investment through the delivery of the Assets Facing Change (AFC) Project

Next step for 2025-26: Develop the strategies and tools required to inform the long-term response to the need for flood asset adaptation.

Area of Focus: Carbon emissions being reduced

Step to take: Stimulating adoption of alternative low carbon and carbon capture technologies in industry through providing specialist advice and guidance to inform planning permission and/or permit applications

Commitment for 2024-25: Develop understanding, using insight to enhance pre-application processes related to statutory planning and permitting applications to facilitate industrial decarbonisation and reduction of landfill greenhouse gas emissions

Key deliverables:

Increased understanding of the constraints to decarbonisation through engagement with all the highest carbon industries in Wales to inform advice and action
Reduced the proportion of low carbon and carbon capture applications being rejected, through providing specialist pre-application advice to at least 10 projects (anticipating 6 submissions in 2024-25)
Decreased the amount of landfill gas released directly from landfill through delivery of the key priorities of the Landfill Emissions Reduction Project

Next step for 2025-26: Implement changes to planning and permitting processes in relation to alternative low carbon and carbon capture technologies.

Area of Focus: Carbon emissions being reduced

Step to take: Supporting the development of sustainable offshore and onshore renewable energy through our evidence, advice and regulation, building a common understanding of the standards required in the statutory planning and permitting processes

Commitment for 2024-25: Enhance evidence, guidance and pre-application advice to improve the quality of submissions for planning permissions and permit/licence applications

Key deliverables:

Increased the production of marine renewables guidance and evidence products, commencing 40%
Increased completion of actions (75%) from the marine license review, to improve service user experience
Maintained service levels for determining marine renewables permit applications at 95%

Next step for 2025-26: Implement improvements to the marine licence service, advice and regulatory work; continuing delivery of priority evidence and guidance needs.

Area of Focus: NRW being an exemplar organisation for a carbon positive public sector

Step to take: Strengthening our strategic approach to decarbonisation through developing and delivering an organisation wide net zero plan, building on the lessons learnt of partners

Commitment for 2024-25: Prioritise actions with the greatest cost benefit on carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e)/ greenhouse gases (GHGs) to deliver our annual prioritisation within the Net Zero Plan

Key deliverables:

Increased understanding of whole life carbon estimates at both option and design stage of all capital construction projects through applying the Environment Agency ERIC Carbon Modelling Tool
Increased understanding of the carbon footprint, at construction stage, of all capital construction projects above £1 million through applying the Environment Agency ERIC carbon calculator
Increased number of staff achieving climate literacy accreditation from 30% to 50% of all NRW staff, through the delivery of the Climate Literacy Training Programme

Next step for 2025-26: Expand delivery on priority actions within the Net Zero Plan.

Area of Focus: NRW being an exemplar organisation for a carbon positive public sector

Step to take: Ensuring actions for climate are driven throughout our supply chains, grant programmes and land management agreements through inclusion in our procurement and funding frameworks

Commitment for 2024-25: Embed the use of carbon reduction tools and plans into high value contracts and frameworks to improve the quality of submissions

Key deliverables:

Increased the percentage of awarded purchase agreements where carbon reduction has been offered as a ‘Well-being Impact’ benefit
Increased the utilisation of carbon calculators on all relevant framework agreements renewing from February 2024 by 50% (from 0). Actions developed for informing future specifications to reduce carbon emissions in future years
Increased the percentage of:
(a) conformant Carbon Reduction Plans received for NRW procurement contracts and frameworks above £5 million as a result of specialist NRW support provided
(b) Carbon Reduction Plans received for NRW procurement contracts and frameworks above £5 million

Next step for 2025-26: Review the potential to extend the use of carbon reduction tools and plans into other funding frameworks.

Wellbeing Objective 3: Pollution is minimised

By 2030 the change we want to see: pollution is minimised through effective regulation and legislative reform, reducing harm to biodiversity and people’s well-being, and driving the sustainable management and use of natural resources (Impact Statement 3)

2024-25 will see continued delivery of actions from Welsh Government’s Beyond Recycling strategy, including implementation of the new workplace recycling legislation. Minimising pollution of rivers and seas will be a continued focus with the Periodic Price Review 24 determining the pace and scale of improvement by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy in improving their assets to minimise pollution and maintain security of water supply. The opportunity to minimise pollution from agriculture will be significantly shaped by the Sustainable Farming Scheme setting out how land managers will be rewarded for nature positive land management.

Our annual commitments for 2024-25 reflect our contribution to these crucial pieces of work as well as our continuing focus on improving water quality through for example the review of permits for larger wastewater treatment works and planned farm inspections in line with the Agriculture Pollution Regulations. We plan to review our approach to incident management drawing on evidence, to enable us to integrate preventative action into incident response. Alongside these traditional regulatory approaches, we will continue to deliver prioritised action at the catchment scale and explore opportunities for innovation and collaboration with partners, through for example the Teifi Demonstrator Project. We have not included all the steps to take in this year’s business plan. We will continue for example to issue permits, undertake compliance visits, respond to incidents and where necessary take enforcement action.

Area of Focus: Effective use of regulatory tools and approaches

Step to take: Ensuring the sectors we regulate, including illegal non-permitted activities, take effective action to control and reduce pollution and increase resource efficiency through the provision of advice and guidance that effectively sets out the standards required to ensure compliance

Commitment for 2024-25: Undertake farm inspections under Agriculture Pollution Regulations, in line with the enforcement sanctions policy to reduce pollution

Key deliverables:

Maintained the level of service for the number of compliance inspections under the Agriculture Pollution Regulations through completing 80% of the scheduled 821 (sites which are identified as those with higher risk activities)
Increased effectiveness and efficiency of compliance inspections through delivery of annual review

Next step for 2025-26: Improve efficiency and effectiveness of compliance inspections under the Agriculture Pollution Regulations.

Area of Focus: Effective use of regulatory tools and approaches

Commitment for 2024-25: Undertake compliance visits at prioritised regulated sites to reduce pollution

Key deliverables:

Maintained the level of service for category 1 and category 2 compliance breaches subject to further compliance effort (action or review) within 6 months at 95%
Increased effectiveness and efficiency of compliance visits through delivery of annual review

Next step for 2025-26: Improve efficiency and effectiveness of compliance visits.

Area of Focus: Effective use of regulatory tools and approaches

Step to take: Minimising pollution and waste through working collaboratively with industry and others to identify how legislation and Welsh Government policy need to change

Commitment for 2024-25: Provide support and advice on the new Workplace Recycling Regulations, targeting key workplace sectors and waste service providers to increase stakeholder awareness and understanding

Key deliverables:

Maintained the efficiency of our support and advice on the Workplace Recycling Regulations through (a) responding to queries within 10 days (percentage attained) and (b) evaluating enquires received and adapting support and advice
Increased the awareness of the Workplace Recycling Regulations within our priority sectors through providing sector specific information and guidance to 20% of the workplaces and events (5,400 of the 27,000)
Establish the percentage of workplaces and events within our priority sectors that are found to be compliant with the Workplace Recycling Regulations at NRW compliance assessment

Next step for 2025-26: Improve processes relating to the Workplace Recycling Regulations taking on customer and stakeholder feedback.

Area of Focus: Effective use of regulatory tools and approaches

Step to take: Protecting the environment and improving environmental performance of water companies through effective challenge of their investment programmes to secure action to improve

Commitment for 2024-25: Provide challenge and advice to water companies to ensure their investment programmes reduce the risks and impacts of their operations on the environment

Key deliverables:

Influenced an increase in investment by water companies in water quality improvements through supporting Ofwat in the scrutiny of Water Company Business Plans
Increased the effectiveness of the three-water company’s drought plans through:
(a) publishing drought plan guidance by end of Q2 and
(b) making recommendations on their draft drought plans through the public consultation. (Publication of final drought plans used as effectiveness measure in 2025-26)
Improved the performance of water companies through delivery of an Operator Monitoring Audit for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy and completion of site audits of Sewage Treatment Works (STW) based on environmental risk

Next step for 2025-26: Track and monitor performance of water companies to reduce the risks and impacts of their operations on the environment and ensure compliance.

Area of Focus: Effective use of regulatory tools and approaches

Step to take: Minimising pollution in highly protected and designated waters through identifying the actions required of a range of sectors

Commitment for 2024-25: Set the ambition for water quality improvements at a catchment scale to build collaboration and deliver prioritised action

Key deliverables:

Decreased the load of Phosphorus to highly protected river sites in line with modelled expectations by completing the review of all 171-water company permits
Increased our knowledge and understanding of the causes of water body failure in Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) through the completion of 30% of outstanding investigations
Increased the water quality in highly protected and designated waters by completing actions committed to as part of NRWs partnership projects (LIFE Programme, Nature and Climate Emergency Funds (NaCE)), with a minimum of 30 actions across 10 opportunity catchments in SACs

Next step for 2025-26: Deliver prioritised collaborative action at a catchment scale.

Area of Focus: Incident response being risk-based

Step to take: Minimising harm from environmental pollution incidents through preparing for, and responding to priority incidents as a Category 1 responder

Commitment for 2024-25: Respond to prioritised pollution incidents to minimise environmental harm

Key deliverables:

Maintained the level of service for the response to incidents initially categorised as ‘High’ within 4 hours at 95%
Increased effectiveness and efficiency of service through delivery of an annual review

Next step for 2025-26: Implement improvements to service.

Area of Focus: Incident response being risk-based

Step to take: Minimising the harm from specific sectors and within specific geographic areas through using evidence to take action to improve compliance

Commitment for 2024-25: Enhance our understanding of the drivers of pollution incidents across Wales to inform the integration of preventative actions into incident response

Key deliverables:

Increased our knowledge and identified opportunities for improvements to processes, capabilities, and competencies through a review of current approaches and tools across 15 pollution areas
Increased our knowledge of pollution incidents (incident numbers, types, locations, impacts and resource allocation) by producing a detailed analysis report (by end of Q2) and informing focus areas, strategies and actions by end of Q4
Increased opportunities to integrate preventative action into the Incident Management Strategy through (a) development of an options paper and (b) decisions at NRW business groups on priorities

Next step for 2025-26: Agree and implement the new incident management strategy.

Area of Focus: Incident response being risk-based

Step to take: Minimising the harm from serious environmental crime through investigating incidents and taking strong and decisive action

Commitment for 2024-25: Undertake investigation and enforcement action to minimise environmental harm

Key deliverables:

Maintained the level of service on the decision on an appropriate enforcement response within 3 months at 95%
Increased effectiveness and efficiency of service through delivery of the Annual Regulatory Report and Tackling Waste Crime quarterly report

Next step for 2025-26: Implement improvements to service.

Area of Focus: Incident response being risk-based

Step to take: Minimising the harm from illegal waste through taking action with local authorities and third sector partners to prevent fly tipping

Commitment for 2024-25: Strengthen ways of working with Local Authorities and third sector partners to maximise collective action on fly-tipping

Key deliverables:

Improved ways of working on fly-tipping between NRW and partner agencies by publishing an updated Fly-tipping Protocol (by end of Q1) and trialling 1 local agreement (by end of Q3)
Increased the utilisation of Fly Tipping Action Wales surveillance equipment (from 4 to 5 Local Authorities) and the Mallard Service by Local Authorities (from 8 to 10), to encourage more enforcement outcomes

Next step for 2025-26: Improve processes, tools and actions to prevent fly-tipping.

Cross Cutting

Steps to take:

Identifying opportunities to optimise the collective action and impact of the public sector through using SoNaRR and Area Statements to work with the public service boards, public health and local authorities.
Involving different communities and sectors in our work, through applying behavioural insights to inform our approaches.
Ensuring a diverse range of people are taking action for nature through sharing the vision and outcomes from Nature and Us to expand our networks and increase involvement

Commitment for 2024-25: Develop an understanding of user needs, experience, and opportunities for common messaging and mainstreaming evidence into decision-making to inform the Interim Report for SoNaRR 2025

Key deliverables:

Increased the knowledge amongst sector bodies and wider stakeholders of how to optimise collective action on nature, climate and pollution by publishing the Interim Report for SoNaRR 2025 (by end of Q3)
Increased our knowledge of user interaction with the Interim Report for SoNaRR 2025 by establishing an online monitoring tool and undertaking analysis
Increased our understanding of user needs and support requirements for SoNaRR 2025 by undertaking interviews with 10 public sector bodies and wider stakeholders

Next step for 2025-26: Integrate learning into the final SoNaRR 2025 report to enhance user experience, usage and impact.

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