Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026

The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026 (“the 2026 Act”) establishes a framework for environmental governance in Wales. The framework seeks to address three core challenges: combating the combined impact of the climate and nature emergencies, protecting the environment from harm, and responding to changes in environmental governance structures following the UK’s departure from the EU. 

• Part 1 of the 2026 Act sets out the environmental objective and certain environmental principles. It imposes duties on the Welsh Ministers, Natural Resources Wales and certain other public authorities to apply the principles and to integrate environmental protection. These duties are intended to be the foundation which places a high level of environmental protection and improvement of the environment at the heart of policy making, and strategic environmental assessment, in Wales.  
• Part 2 establishes a statutory body, “The Office of Environmental Governance Wales”, with responsibility for ensuring public authorities comply with their duties under environmental law in Wales.  
• Part 3 amends the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 to establish a biodiversity target setting framework aimed at contributing to halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity or to restoring biodiversity to resilient levels.

The Explanatory Notes to the 2026 Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions. A link to the Explanatory Notes on legislation.gov.uk will be provided once available.
 

Coming into force

Section 46 makes provision for the coming into force of the 2026 Act.
 

Part 4, apart from section 45, came into force on 28 April 2026.

The following provisions come into force two months after Royal Assent, therefore on 27 June 2026– 

• In Part 1: sections 1, 2, 6, 7 (except section 7(1)(c))
• In Part 2: sections 8, 10 and Schedule 1 (except paragraphs 10 and 21 of that Schedule); 30 and Schedule 3; sections 31 to 34; 
• All of Part 3;
• Paragraphs 1 to 4 of Schedule 4 (and section 45 in so far as relating to those paragraphs). 

Sections 3 to 5 come into force on 31 March 2027.
 

All other provisions of the 2026 Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers in an order made by Welsh statutory instrument, except that if the provisions listed below have not come into force by the end of the period of 24 months beginning 27 April 2026, they come into force at the end of that period. Namely: 

• section 7(1)(c); 
• paragraphs 10 and 21 of Schedule 1; 
• sections 11 to 29 and Schedule 2; 
• paragraph 5 of Schedule 4 (and section 45 in so far as relating to that paragraph).

Regulations may substitute a different period instead of 24 months, which may not be longer than 48 months after 27 April 2026.
 

Subordinate legislation made under the Act

Any subordinate legislation made under the 2026 Act will be added when that subordinate legislation is made.

Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd

The Bill was introduced to the Senedd on 2 June 2025 by the (then) Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs. It was passed by the Senedd on 24 February 2026 and received Royal Assent on 27 April 2026.

More information about the 2026 Act is provided on the Senedd website including a record of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.

An Explanatory Memorandum was originally prepared for consideration by the Senedd alongside the Bill. This has now been revised and updated to reflect the final form of the 2026 Act. 
 

Related articles and information

Environmental principles, governance and biodiversity targets: White Paper | GOV.WALES