Lee Waters has admitted "we're way behind where we need to be" on tree-planting targets.
The Welsh Government wants to plant 86 million more trees by the end of the decade. So far, only around 1,690 hectares of new forest have been planted, between 2014 and 2020.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch Saunders MS said:
“There has been a serious level of inaction by the Welsh Labour Government over the past Senedd term.
“This is a stark contrast to the warning by the UK Committee on Climate Change, who have called for significant rises in tree planting to meet legally binding targets on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
“A decade ago, the Welsh Government adopted a target of planting 5,000 hectares of new woodland every year until 2030. This target was inexplicably lowered to just 2,000 hectares.
“If the Welsh Labour Government want to be taken seriously on climate change then it needs start actually hitting its own targets. It cannot just shift all the onus from ministers to the public.
“It’s time for less talking and more action over the planting of trees.”
