Size of Wales is proud to announce the appointment of former First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones as our new Chair of Trustees.
Carwyn was the Member of the Senedd for Bridgend for twenty-two years but recently stood down ahead of the May 2021 Welsh elections. He spent nine years as First Minister, where he implemented a series of important climate measures, including the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Carwyn is no stranger to Size of Wales and, in 2014, committed Welsh Government funding to the Mbale Trees Programme. The programme, supported by Size of Wales and in partnership with local organisations, grows millions of trees each year to combat climate change. Carwyn visited Mbale in 2014 to see the brilliant work of the programme first-hand and plant its one-millionth tree.
In his first act in the role, Carwyn has called for everyone in Wales to join a day of climate action on 25th June 2021 called Go Green Day. This annual Size of Wales initiative encourages people, schools, decision-makers, and businesses to take action and protect tropical forests.
Upon the announcement of his new role Carwyn said:
“From my time as First Minister, I know the threat climate change poses to both our nation and our planet. I’ve also seen the brilliant work Size of Wales does in places like Mbale, working with local communities impacted by the climate crisis to grow trees and improve livelihoods.
“People in Wales are often proud environmentalists, and our nation can be part of the global solution to climate change. So I call on everyone to get involved with Go Green Day on 25th June and take positive action for the environment.”
Size of Wales Co-Founders Heather Stevens and Peter Davies said:
“We are delighted that Carwyn will now be leading the Board and supporting the organisation’s excellent team. The charity has made a real difference over the last 10 years but we need to continue to increase its impact as part of our national response to the global climate crisis.”
In his new role, Carwyn will chair the organisation’s Board of Trustees, be a trustee himself, and provide strategic leadership to Size of Wales. This will include supporting the implementation of our five-year strategy, which will be formally launched later this year.