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Our strategy
Our strategic approach Most organisations benefit from a strategic approach on how they deliver their activity. NICW is not a traditional organisation, comprised of 8 part-time Commissioners, with two members of the Secretariat. We have developed our strategic approach bearing in mind our own limited resource, as well as our remit that is set by…
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NICW’s ways of working
NICW’s ways of working As a body that receives all its funding from the people of Wales, NICW is committed to embodying the Future Generations Act in all that we do. In order to understand how closely aligned our activity is with the Ways of Working defined within the Act, we have undertaken a self-analysis…
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Beyond Grid – Towards a Decarbonised Electricity System
Nick Tune, one of the two Commissioners who led the work of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales on Renewable Energy, talks about the future of the electricity grid system in Wales. On March 19, 2024, The National Grid Energy Systems Operator (ESO) unveiled “Beyond 2030: A National Blueprint for a Decarbonized Electricity System in…
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NICW’s future infrastructure essays
This personal blog post is written by David Clubb as an introduction to a series of essays about future infrastructure. Good ancestors In his book The Good Ancestor, Roman Krznaric describes the question posed by a member of the team that developed a vaccine for polio. Jonas Salk asked: ‘Are we being good ancestors?’ In…
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NICW Response to the Senedd CCEI Committee Report
Llŷr Gruffydd MS,Chair, Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure CommitteeSeneddClimate@senedd.wales 15th May 2024 Dear Llŷr Thank you for your letter of the 15 April 2024 enclosing a copy of the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee’s report; “Annual report on the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales 2023”. It was a pleasure to meet with yourself and…
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Port Talbot; strategic domestic manufacturing
This is a guest post by Dr Jen Baxter, Deputy Chair of NICW Tata’s closure The news that Tata Steel will close both blast furnaces at its Port Talbot steelworks within the next 18 months and replace them with an electric arc furnace (around 2027) will significantly reduce the UK’s ability to be self-sufficient in…
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Leaving Twitter
Twitter (renamed to X but still widely known as Twitter) has been a seemingly essential part of the world of public affairs, digital discourse and communication for more than a decade. As with other social media platforms, it is often used ‘by default’, without much consideration for ethical issues. NICW has a Twitter account; with…
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Four-country coordination on grid
On 2 August 2023 NICW wrote to Ministers in different parts of the UK on the need for greater coordination on grid issues. Julie James MSMinister for Climate Change, Welsh GovernmentCorrespondence. Julie.James@gov.wales The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MPSecretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK GovernmentSecretary.State@beis.gov.uk Gillian Martin MSPMinister for Energy and the…
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Infrastructure Bill Wales
NICW has written to the Senedd Committee for Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure in response to their consultation on the Infrastructure Wales Bill. We were delighted to be able to offer a joint opinion in partnership with the Commissioner for Future Generations in Wales, Derek Walker. Dear Chair Infrastructure (Wales) Bill – Climate Change, Environment,…
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Progress on flooding
NICW has written to Welsh Government to provide an update on our activity on flooding. Julie James MSMinister for Climate ChangeWelsh Government 9 June 2023 Dear Minister We are writing to you to update on the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales’ work on flooding and, in particular, the Co-operation Agreement commitment which asks us to…
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Biodiversity in planning policy
Welsh Government recently consulted on draft policy changes to Planning Policy Wales that strengthen the requirement to incorporated nature-positive elements within the policy. Dr Jen Baxter, Deputy Chair of NICW, drafted the Commission’s response to the proposed changes. 25 May 2023 Dear Sir / Madam Targeted policy changes to Planning Policy Wales on Net benefit…
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Our values
The NICW values Values are important to us as individuals, and to organisations. They help us define the things that are important to us. They guide our activities, shape prioritisation of limited personal and institutional resources, and can help people understand why we do the things we do. This iteration of the National Infrastructure Commission…
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Response to TAN 15 consultation
Ein cyf/Our ref: NICW/23/TAN15 TAN 15 Consultation,Planning Policy Branch,Welsh Government,Cathays Park,Cardiff CF10 3NQ E-mail: planconsultations-j@gov.wales 17 April 2023 Dear Sir / Madam Technical Advice Note (TAN)15: Development, flooding and coastal erosion – further amendments consultation Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the latest TAN15 consultation. NICW’s role is to provide advice to the Welsh…
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Reviewing the Roads Review
NICW Roads Review response This document is our response to the publication of the Roads Review (1). We also note the accompanying National Transport Delivery Plan (2). Planning and Finance The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales considers the needs and role of infrastructure in Wales from approximately 2030-2100. The roads considered within the Roads Review…
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Cars and roads in Wales
Introduction This blog post is a precursor to a NICW opinion piece on the Roads Review, and on the Welsh Government’s response to the Roads Review. The Roads Review was undertaken under a very tight remit and timeline. There is an inevitable tradeoff between the terms of reference for the review, and the ability to…