Wales' greenhouse gas emissions fell 8.6% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the UK Climate Change Committee. The drop was driven mainly by the closure of Port Talbot's blast furnaces, which had been the UK's largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions. Overall, Wales has cut emissions 44% since 1990. The blast furnaces shut in July and September 2024 with the loss of 2,000 jobs. They will be replaced by a 1.25 billion pound electric arc furnace that recycles scrap steel. The CCC says industry changes accounted for 74% of the direct emissions reduction in Wales last year. Emissions from electricity supply, land use, and agriculture also fell, but those gains were partly offset by increases from buildings, transport, and aviation. The CCC criticized how the transition was handled, saying the Welsh and UK governments should have done more to prepare the local economy for job losses. Environmentalists warn that if decarbonization means losing heavy industry jobs without a clear plan for new employment, public support for climate action could weaken. The Welsh government has allocated 100 million pounds for affected workers through the Tata Steel Transition Board.
