Wales powers its net zero vision for cleaner, greener future

The spirit of collection climate action came alive when sustainability leaders from across the region met at Journey to a net zero Wales this month.

Hosted by Salix, in partnership with Welsh Government and the Welsh Government Energy Service, the third annual net zero event was held in Swansea Bay. 

It brought together those from councils, universities, the NHS and schools, all moving with urgency and vision toward Wales’ 2030 net zero public sector goal.

strong, and the partnerships are powerful.

The day opened with a keynote from our Salix chief executive Kevin Holland, who set the tone by reminding attendees of the purpose behind the work.

“If we want to save the planet,” he said, “we must support our clients to deliver on their net zero goals.”

He described our core mission at Salix: helping the public sector and housing partners create better places to live, work and visit, tackle fuel poverty, and drive down emissions through well-supported, government-funded projects

Looking ahead, Kevin outlined our corporate strategy for 2025 to 2028, anchored in four key areas: delivering decarbonisation across England, Scotland and Wales, innovating operations, expanding partnerships, and maximising impact.

“It’s not just about carbon,” he said. “It’s about impact, on communities, on cost savings, and on lives.”

Across Wales, that vision is being realised in bricks, mortar and megawatts.

At Swansea University, Teifion Maddocks, sustainability manager, is leading a transformation grounded in technical excellence and long-term planning. Since 2015, the university has cut  achieved a 39% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions - those directly from campus operations, such as heating, fuel use and electricity. It is now working to address Scope 3 emissions, which include indirect impacts like travel, procurement and waste.

“In 2019, we declared a climate emergency after powerful activism from staff and students,” he said. “That declaration shaped our new five-year sustainability strategy, and we’ve kept pushing forward.”

With support from ourselves  and the Welsh Government, the university has installed 2,000 rooftop solar panels, rolled out smart LED lighting across campus, and implemented a full decarbonisation plan. A major £11.4 million project is now underway to decarbonise the Singleton campus.

“The gas infrastructure is over 100 years old,” Teifion explained. “We’re replacing it with air source heat, upgrading building fabric, and implementing a smart building standard so everything works efficiently.”

It’s working. He said: “Not only are the buildings more efficient but they’re more comfortable. People really got behind the heat pump tech. We had no issues with the occupants and saw big energy and carbon savings.”

In Newport, Eloise Laity, carbon reduction manager at Newport City Council, is overseeing major upgrades to the city’s public estate.

“All viable roofs now have solar,” she said. “And no new council buildings can include gas as a heating source. If we don’t remove gas, we can’t get to net zero. It’s that simple.”

With 21 sites funded through Salix, including nine in the last year, Eloise says this success comes down to long-term leadership and collaboration.

“We’re a small team with limited capacity,” she said. “Without the support of Salix, the Welsh Government Energy Service and Welsh Government, we wouldn’t be reaching these targets. So, thank you.”

But change in Wales isn’t only being built into infrastructure. It’s being felt in classrooms, staff rooms and across communities.

At Newport City Council, Laura Waldron, programme manager, is leading a powerful push to embed climate awareness into everyday life.

“Schools are so enthusiastic,” she said. “We’ve had 444 pupils take part in the Arctic Explorer March, 775 attend joint explorer talks, and four new schools join Energy Sparks. The children are supporting their teachers to develop sustainability plans. That’s real cultural change.”

The Arctic Explorer March is an annual initiative that uses the excitement of a virtual polar expedition to engage students in climate science and global warming through physical activity and storytelling. 

Energy Sparks is an educational platform that empowers pupils and schools to monitor and reduce their energy use using real-time data, turning energy efficiency into a practical, hands-on learning experience.

Laura’s team is also delivering training sessions, art competitions, climate newsletters, cost-of-living roadshows and green jobs fairs. She highlighted a strong social media and press campaign, including 71 posts and 14 press releases in the past year.

“We’ve smashed a lot of our targets through the net zero Newport programme,” she said. “But most of all, we’ve created interest and momentum. Staff are involved. Pupils are engaged. People are talking about climate.”

Teifion echoed this commitment to engagement. He said: “We’ve made sustainability cross-cutting. It’s embedded in our procurement, our strategies, our lectures and even in how we use data. We’re trying to visualise carbon data and bring it into teaching and research.”

The university is also using its own operations as a living lab, with opportunities for students to get involved in monitoring and design.

“There’s a call from Environment Platform Wales to bridge the gap between operational challenges and academic research,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Environment Platform Wales is a collaborative initiative connecting universities and environmental bodies across Wales to foster evidence-based policy and practice, ensuring research drives meaningful progress on issues like climate, biodiversity and sustainability.

In a compelling session Jon McGarrigle, head of energy and performance at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, described the challenge of decarbonising the NHS estate.

“We have 48 sites and 100,000 pieces of carbon-consuming technology,” he said. “Our energy use is equivalent to a town of 10,000 homes. Or ten return flights to the moon.”

Working through the Welsh Government’s Re:fit programme, the health board has completed major energy upgrades across two of its largest sites. These include 30,000 LED light replacements, over 100 upgraded air handling units, solar arrays, and improved insulation.

“The results speak for themselves,” Jon said. “We’ve saved £1.5 million, which equates to the salaries of 35 nurses. This work matters, not just for emissions, but for patients and staff.”

He credited much of the success to team effort and cross-sector collaboration.

“As Steve Jobs once said, great things in business are never done by one person,” he said. “A huge thank you to Welsh Government, Welsh Government Energy Service and Salix for making this a reality.”

In a forward-looking session, Alex Rowlands shared an urgent message: solar systems only deliver their full value if they are properly managed.

“Too often, we install solar and then walk away,” she said. “But if we don’t monitor it daily, we lose performance, revenue, and impact.”

She outlined risks to capital investment, insurance compliance and fire safety, urging organisations to assign performance managers, install proper controls, and plan for solar management from the design stage.

“You must know who is responsible, and you must communicate,” she said. “Tell your local fire service when solar is introduced. Make sure your strategy is clear.”

Teifion added a practical example: “We had to put netting around some of our panels because of nesting gulls. If you don’t plan for things like that, your solar capacity drops. These things matter.”

Breakout sessions, led by Bea Golley and Rhys white from the Salix Wales team, brought attendees together to share their challenges and ideas. One table’s issue became another’s solution, highlighting the value of collaboration and collective insight.

Programme coordinator at Salix Rachael Holliday introduced the second round of the decarbonisation fund for the tertiary education sector in Wales, sparking new ideas and connections.

To close the day, assistant director at Salix Heather Jones, reflected on the journey so far.

She said: “I’ve seen real progress across many different areas. “We know now that the skills and resources exist. The funding is there. Get in touch with your relationship manager. We’re all here to help.”

In a video transmitted on the day deputy minister for climate change Huw Irranca-Davies said:: “Wales is a small country, but it can have a big impact.”

From energy managers and carbon officers to school pupils and academic researchers, Wales is proving that reaching net zero is not only essential but achievable.

The journey is challenging, but the will is strong, and the partnerships are powerful.