Wales' first ever climate change conference set to take place in Cardiff

Wales' first ever conference on climate change is set to take place on Wednesday at Cardiff's City Hall.

Speakers will include the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, former Wales rugby player Richard Parks and members of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion.

The Welsh Government declared a climate emergency in April 2019 and were the first parliament in the world to do so.

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Students have been taking part in school strikes across Wales and the world to demand action on climate change. Credit: Grant Peisley

The conference aims to encourage businesses and individuals to do their part in combatting climate change.

The Welsh Government have laid out eight steps they are taking to try and tackle the climate emergency in Wales. These include making it easier for people to use their car less, banning some single use plastics and creating a National Forest.

Members of Extinction Rebellion will be sharing their ideas on how we should be responding to the climate emergency.

The conference comes amidst a series of climate change protests taking place in London and across the UK organised by Extinction Rebellion.

The conference will take place at 9am at Cardiff City Hall. Credit: JULIAN SMITH/PA Images

For every attendee at the conference a tree will also be planted in Mbale, Eastern Uganda, as part of the Welsh Government's Wales for Africa programme.

A farmer from Uganda, Nimrod Wambette, will be speaking about how his hometown is already feeling the effects of climate change and what he is doing to adapt.

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffith said declaring a climate emergency was "just the first step" and the conference will help develop action to combat the problem.