WALES is on course to miss targets around cutting pollution, a report has found.

The Welsh Government had set a target of cutting carbon emissions by three per cent each year from 2011, and to be 40 per cent lower than emission levels in 1990 by 2020.

But now a report by the Welsh Assembly’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee has found progress is not being made quick enough, with figures showing in 2015 emissions were 19 per cent lower than in 1990.

Over the same period emissions across the UK fell by 27 per cent.

The government blamed the lack of progress on the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme - through which companies are able to buy allowances for a certain level of emissions - as well as the relatively high amount of industry in Wales compared with the rest of the UK, and weather.

But the committee said these factors should have been taken into account when the targets were set.

Committee chairman Mike Hedges said: “The Welsh Government’s targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Wales were ambitious, but attainable.

“That the government will miss these targets by some margin is deeply disappointing, and the committee is not convinced by some of the reasoning behind the failure.

“We believe there needs to be a much more co-ordinated approach across government departments if Wales is to truly become a greener, more sustainable nation. In the short term we accept the view of the Committee on Climate Change that the Welsh Government revise down its targets.

“We have made a number of recommendations in our report around agriculture, forestry, housing and transport which we believe will ensure ministers will deliver on their climate change commitments and obligations.”

The committee has also called for assessments of the carbon output of the proposed M4 relief road and other major projects to be made available.

The Welsh Government had not responded to request for comment as the Argus went to press.