Nesta calls for all party manifestos to prioritise policies which embrace clean heat and put the people of Wales and future generations at the heart of their approach to decarbonisation.

The challenge is clear - Wales must reduce carbon emissions by 63% by 2030, requiring a dramatic acceleration of low-carbon heating installations. The upcoming Senedd Cymru elections in May 2026 presents a crucial opportunity to influence Welsh policymaking to meet this target.

Low-carbon heating is a technological and economic opportunity that Wales should invest in. These technologies, including heat pumps, are a pathway to lower energy bills in the future, improve household health through cleaner air and create a thriving green jobs market. The next Senedd has to seize this opportunity to decarbonise at pace.

This will require a pragmatic approach, balancing support for those in fuel poverty with rapid decarbonisation, recognising that up to a third of Welsh homes can already accommodate heat pumps with minimal retrofit.

Nesta calls for the following commitments to be included in all political party manifestos in order for Wales to meet the home decarbonisation challenge:

1. Give communities agency over the green transition by supporting clean heat neighbourhoods: coordinate a rollout of low-carbon technology by building on Local Area Energy Plans, creating local heat bodies to implement place-based approaches to low-carbon heating.
   
2. Remove planning obstacles to heat pump adoption: expand permitted development rights for air source heat pumps.
   
3. Scale up green financing options and offer targeted support to homeowners: offer low-interest loans for green upgrades at scale and provide homeowners with whole-house decarbonisation support.
   
4. Build up a thriving low-carbon heating workforce: develop skilled workforce pipelines through collaboration with tertiary education and business support bodies.