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Reflections on 5 years as Chair
Reflections on 5 years as Chair The summer of 2021 It was the summer of 2021 when I had my first conversation with Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, about potentially Chairing the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales. Born out of an agreement between Plaid Cymru and Labour in 2016 it looked from the…
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Our Legacy Work in Grangetown
From Engagement to Ownership: How NICW’s Climate Approach Is Taking Root in Grangetown Over the past twelve months, NICW has continued its work with the communities of Grangetown, discussing climate adaptation as a lived, community-driven process shaped by young people, local mentors, and peer researchers who are translating climate insight into everyday practice. NICW’s Climate…
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A new future for Port Talbot
A new future for Port Talbot Old site, new beginnings The NICW summer 2026 study visit was to Port Talbot, a reprise of the final site visit of the previous Commission in 2021, but clearly with many updates in the intervening five years. In February 2024, our Deputy Chair, Dr Jen Baxter, wrote a piece…
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AI infrastructure and Wales
AI infrastructure and Wales Nick Tune, Commissioner What does AI mean for Wales? Last week I went along to the launch of the UK’s £500m Sovereign AI fund (sovereignai.gov.uk), and I came away genuinely impressed. Credit to UK Government for standing up what is essentially a fast-moving VC arm this quickly. I like that it’s…
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Taking a flight to the year 2126
Taking a flight to 2126; a Nature Guardian event Background In 2025 NICW undertook a trial of the Nature Guardian concept – aiming to test how decision making was influenced by involving a representative of Nature in the Commission. This process followed the publication of our report on flooding, which included a recommendation for Welsh…
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New Government: New Opportunities
New Government: New Opportunities Wales has a new government. The Senedd election of 7 May has brought a change of administration, and with it a clear intention that places energy independence, flood resilience, nature recovery and long-term infrastructure investment at its centre. For those who have followed NICW’s work over recent years, the incoming government’s…
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Counting the cost of inaction: net zero buildings in Wales
Counting the cost of inaction: net zero buildings in Wales In February 2007, the Welsh Government made a bold announcement. All new buildings would need to achieve zero carbon by 2011, five years ahead of the UK Government’s own 2016 target. At the time, it felt like Wales was genuinely about to lead the way.…
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Wales’ water: a (real) once in a generation opportunity
Wales’ water: a (real) once in a generation opportunity We often hear that new policies are once-in-a-generation opportunities. Sometimes it’s even true, which is certainly the case for water regulation in Wales. Welsh Government recently kicked off a consultation via a Green paper, “Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales”, which aims to set…
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Infrastructure Cymru 2026
Infrastructure Cymru 2026 A stakeholder conversation on Wales’ infrastructure future On Monday 23 March 2026, Infrastructure Cymru 2026 brought together over 100 policymakers, infrastructure providers, delivery bodies and community voices from across Wales for a one-day event at Cornerstone, Cardiff. The event marked a unique moment in Wales’ infrastructure conversation as one of the few…
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Infrastructure for Future Generations
Infrastructure for Future Generations Today we publish a suite of infrastructure sector insights and a major study into infrastructure delivery in Wales. Together, they form the most complete picture we’ve produced of how our essential systems are performing and allow us to assess whether Wales is set up to deliver the infrastructure future generations will…
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Reflections on NICW
Reflecting on our work The importance of reflective practice As individuals, we learn best when we critically analyse and consider how we have responded in various situations. Learning happens best when we consider whether the approach we took could have been amended in some way to reach a different outcome. We consider that a similar…
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Nature Guardian Case Study
Nature as a Stakeholder: A Case Study of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales’ Nature Guardian Pilot – Elspeth Jones Executive Summary In 2025, the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) undertook a six-month pilot to test a novel governance intervention: the appointment of a “Nature Guardian” to participate directly in Commission discussions. The pilot was not…
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A toolkit for community engagement on climate change
A toolkit for community engagement on climate change Infrastructure decisions made today will shape the lives of people living many decades into the future. As climate risks become increasingly complex and uncertain, public bodies and infrastructure providers need to work in new ways so that communities who want or need to understand, discuss, and influence…
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The wind is not ours; how Wales was left out of its own energy future
The wind is not ours; how Wales was left out of its own energy future The Celtic Sea; power, profit & possibility On 19 June 2025, The Crown Estate announced – in English only – what it calls a “new frontier” in UK offshore wind development, partnering with Norwegian energy giant Equinor and Gwynt Glas…
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Tunnels, trains and (ferry) terminals; infrastructure insights from north Wales
Tunnels, trains and (ferry) terminals; infrastructure insights from north Wales NICW undertakes several study tours a year to understand more about local infrastructure issues. This blog post describes our visit to Conwy and Ynys Môn in July 2025 Several times a year the Commission visits different parts of Wales to understand local issues of infrastructure…
