Business plan 2026-27

Introduction

Wales is entering a decisive period where responding to the nature, climate and pollution emergencies requires stronger leadership, clearer priorities and coordinated national action. Recent assessments, including SoNaRR 2025 and the Future Generations Report 2025, show progress but highlight that change is not happening fast enough. Incremental improvements will not meet the scale of the challenge.

This year sees major reforms across environmental policy: new legislation to protect and effectively manage 30% of land, freshwater and sea by 2030; the introduction of the Sustainable Farming Scheme; and significant changes to water and waste regulation. NRW will also support large infrastructure projects, including new nuclear proposals, and continue leading Wales response to flood risk.

Our role is to lead where responsibilities sit with us, and to enable others: public bodies, land managers, industry and communities to take coordinated action. Our corporate plan, Nature and People Thriving Together, sets out how we will use our powers, evidence and place-focussed approach to support national outcomes.

Delivering this vision requires an organisation that is confident, connected and equipped to respond to growing pressures. We will continue strengthening the foundations that enable colleagues to work with clarity, confidence and purpose to have greater impact. Improving our effectiveness and efficiency will also benefit those we work with in enabling them to act with greater pace and certainty. Strengthening how we plan, measure and deliver will help us meet rising expectations and support Wales to take confident action.

An outcome-focused organisation

A major priority this year is embedding an outcome focused approach strengthening the integration of business, financial and strategic workforce planning with service and place planning. We want to be clearer about the long-term changes we seek for nature, climate and pollution by 2030, and ensure our annual activities and resources align with those outcomes.

A new multi year plan will bridge our corporate plan and annual business plans. It will set out the outcomes we aim to achieve by 2030, include a new suite of leading outcome metrics, and help us allocate resources more strategically following budget announcements each autumn.

This will allow us to demonstrate not just what we delivered, but the impact of that work.

This year’s plan strengthens our line of sight between outcomes and delivery. It marks our progression towards a more coordinated and evidence-led model that will continue to mature in 2027-28.

Structure of this business plan

This business plan is structured around our four well-being objectives, providing a clear and consistent framework that links our annual actions to the long-term outcomes in Nature and People Thriving Together.

Through 2026-27 we will continue to evolve towards an outcome-focused approach. While our full suite of outcome leading metrics is still in development, this year’s annual commitments and trend metrics will begin to show how our work contributes to the outcomes we aim to achieve by 2030. The trend metrics allows us to understand if we need to introduce changes in year or, in future years introduce specific annual commitments to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of delivery.

Each section sets out:

Outcomes we want to achieve by 2030, in line with Nature and People Thriving Together.
What we will deliver, where NRW is uniquely placed to lead and have the greatest impact.
How we will enable others, through evidence, statutory planning, regulatory advice and guidance and partnership working.
How we will measure progress, using specific annual commitments with milestones we will track progress to ensure initiatives are on track. These are likely to change each year.

Annex 1 includes the suite of trend metrics that we will report on quarterly and track consistently over time.

Our priorities 2026-27

Well-being objective: Nature is recovering

The outcome we want to achieve by 2030

By 2030, nature will be healthier, more connected, and more valued across Wales. Decisions across sectors will consider nature from the outset, protected places will be strengthened, and large-scale restoration will help wildlife and habitats recover and thrive. People and communities will feel closer to nature through better access and fairer opportunities, and NRW will lead by example - demonstrating through our land, assets, and decisions what a truly nature positive organisation looks like.

We will know we are succeeding when nature positive approaches are clear and embedded in plans and decisions, protected and restored areas visibly expand and improve, everyday experiences of nature grow, and our leadership helps others adopt the same nature positive approach.

What we will deliver this year

In 2026-27, we will prioritise actions that drive measurable improvements in protecting and restoring nature across Wales. Our commitments this year will:

Accelerate action toward the national 30by30 ambition by strengthening the evidence, planning and regulatory tools needed to protect and effectively manage Wales' most important habitats across land, freshwater and sea.
Modernise and streamline nature protection processes, including SSSI notification, site management planning and spatial protection work, so Wales has a clearer, more efficient system for safeguarding priority habitats at scale.
Deliver integrated nature restoration interventions on the ground, such as designated site management plans, species recovery programmes and marine condition assessments.
Provide the specialist environmental advice needed for major national reforms, including the Sustainable Farming Scheme and Glyndŵr National Park work, ensuring new policies drive measurable gains for nature and align with wider national outcomes.

Together, these actions will strengthen Wales’ protected area network and accelerate progress towards the national ambition to effectively manage 30% of land, freshwater and sea by 2030.

How we will enable others across Wales

Nature recovery cannot be achieved by NRW alone. In 2026-27, we will help others take confident, coordinated and timely action for nature by:

Helping public bodies and planning authorities integrate nature recovery earlier and more consistently in decisions through accessible ecological network evidence, streamlined planning and permitting advice and strengthened regulatory guidance.
Enabling farmers and land managers to contribute confidently to nature restoration by providing clear, practical advice that supports the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and its collaborative land management requirements.
Supporting designated landscapes, communities and partners to take place based, coordinated action that strengthens ecological networks and aligns local decisions with the national 30by30 ambition, for example, the Teifi Fyw Programme.
Influencing supply chains, developers and wider stakeholders by embedding nature positive expectations into guidance and advice, expanding Wales’ capacity to restore nature beyond NRW’s direct operations.

These enabling actions ensure that decisions taken across Wales are informed, timely and aligned to long-term nature recovery outcomes, while also supporting climate action and pollution minimisation through integrated, multi-functional environmental planning and management.

How we will measure progress

Table 1: Annual commitments - Nature is recovering

Description	Why is this important?
Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our land use planning role: consistent with our Planning Strategy by developing and starting to implement a prioritised plan of improvements.	Timely, consistent advice ensures development supports nature recovery while enabling sustainable economic growth and well-designed places that improve community wellbeing.
Resilient Ecological Networks (REN): Projects are established and underway across Wales.	Strengthening ecological networks improves habitat condition and connectivity, helping wildlife thrive and supporting long-term nature recovery.
Spatial protection for nature delivery: programme established and implementation started.	Strong, modern protection for priority habitats safeguards biodiversity, supports resilient ecosystems and supports long-term social, cultural and economic benefits for Wales.
Glyndŵr National Park Advice: Provide specialist advice to Welsh Government, participate in a possible local public inquiry and/or support other relevant actions in relation to a Glyndŵr National Park designation order.	Robust advice ensures any designation delivers lasting environmental benefits while supporting local communities, sustainable land use and regional economic opportunity.
Sustainable Farming Scheme advice: Provide specialist advice to Welsh Government for the development of the optional and collaborative actions in the Sustainable Farming Scheme, including refresh of the forest management plan and scoping of a new woodland management scheme verification service.	Clear, practical advice helps farmers deliver nature positive land management that supports food production, strengthens rural economies and improves community wellbeing.
Establish species recovery initiatives: namely (i) a Species Recovery Framework, (ii) WG/NRW beaver work programme.	Focusing action on priority species strengthens ecosystem resilience and supports the wider environmental, cultural and economic benefits that nature provides.
Marine SAC and SPA Condition Assessments: Progress development of cross border marine SAC and SPA condition assessments and conservation advice packages to inform effective site management.	Strong evidence on the condition of marine protected areas underpins recovery of shared marine ecosystems, and supports coastal communities, sustainable use of our marine resources, and wider well being.

Well-being objective: Communities are resilient to climate change

The outcome we want to achieve by 2030

By 2030, Wales will be better protected, more resilient and firmly on the path to net-zero. Nature-based solutions will play a bigger role in storing carbon and reducing climate risks whilst delivering wider benefits to restore nature and minimise pollution, communities will be better prepared for the impacts of floods, droughts and wildfires, and low carbon choices will shape how Wales plans, grows and invests. People, businesses and partners will take sustained climate action, supported by clear evidence, strong partnerships and NRW’s leadership as a net-zero public sector organisation.

We will know we are succeeding when climate risks are considered early, nature-based projects grow and expand, low carbon options become the norm, and our example helps drive long-lasting, collective action.

What we will deliver this year

In 2026-27, we will focus on the actions that strengthen Wales’ ability to anticipate, withstand and recover from climate impacts. Our commitments this year will:

Scale up climate resilience and nature-based action by restoring peatland, progressing seagrass and saltmarsh restoration, and delivering priority catchment planning and flood risk programmes that strengthen Wales’ long-term resilience.
Lead Wales’ response to climate risk and flooding, improving the evidence and systems underpinning flood forecasting, asset management and preparedness so that communities are better protected from rising climate pressures.
Accelerate organisational decarbonisation by expanding electric vehicle charging capacity, increasing the proportion of electric fleet vehicles, reducing operational and procurement emissions.
Strengthen the evidence and guidance required for low carbon growth, including marine renewables, nuclear infrastructure, industrial decarbonisation, and timber based low carbon construction, ensuring new developments reduce emissions while protecting nature.
Influence supply chains and procurement across Wales by embedding carbon reduction requirements, improving supplier engagement and promoting low carbon materials, extending NRW’s impact beyond its direct operations.

Together, these actions will strengthen Wales’ resilience to climate-related events and protect people, communities and the natural environment.

How we will enable others across Wales

Climate resilience cannot be achieved by NRW alone. In 2026-27, we will help others take confident, co-ordinated action to:

Support Net Zero Industry Wales and associated industry clusters, providing early planning and permitting advice for decarbonisation proposals, managing a growing pipeline of decarbonisation proposals and ensuring emerging projects minimise harm to nature and human health while supporting jobs and low carbon growth.
Enable sustainable onshore and offshore renewable energy development, including schemes on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, through early engagement, advice on site selection, scheme design and the operation of those schemes. We will continue to invest to improve the end-to-end marine licensing process.
Contribute to implementation of new nuclear development by providing timely, proportionate, predictable decision making related to our statutory advice and permitting roles, ensuring that nuclear infrastructure supports national decarbonisation and energy security while minimising harm to people and nature.
Work with partners across catchments and communities, including growth deal partnerships, local authorities and agencies, to promote coordinated climate action, improve transport emissions, and strengthen resilience at the appropriate scale.

These enabling actions support a co-ordinated transition to cleaner energy and industrial systems, resilient places and low-carbon growth, while ensuring nature and communities remain protected.

How we will measure progress

Table 2: Annual commitments - Communities are resilient to climate change

Description	Why is this important?
Integrated catchment planning and management: Establish organisational approach and prioritised forward programme for integrated catchment planning and management.	A coordinated approach to catchment planning strengthens how we target action, improving outcomes for nature, climate and communities.
Periodic Review of Water Company Prices 2029: Establish PR29 approach to nature-based-solutions and catchment solutions.	A clear approach to inform the 2029 water company periodic review enables targeted investment in nature based and catchment scale interventions that deliver long term environmental benefits.
Improve Flood Risk Assessment Wales: develop the delivery plan for the next generation of Flood Risk Assessment Wales, to modernise flood data so that it can be used by all stakeholders.	Accessible flood data improves how Wales understands and manages flood risk, helping to protect communities.
Taff flood catchment plan: develop a prioritised pipeline of work, and establish a catchment partnership.	Coordinated action across a whole catchment delivers greater environmental and community resilience.
Low-carbon industry guidance: Develop advice, guidance and tools on low‑carbon technologies and infrastructure, including Nuclear, Carbon Capture, Persistent Chemicals (PFAS) and enhanced Environmental Management System (EMS) expectations.	Clearer expectations support better permit applications and help industry reduce pollution and carbon emissions.
Marine renewables evidence and guidance: deliver evidence and guidance programmes to support consistent and accessible advice and guidance for sustainable project and programme design.	High quality advice enables low carbon energy development while protecting the marine environment.
Timber sales: Support the supply chain for carbon-locking Welsh timber for Welsh Homes through timber sales from the Welsh Government Woodland Estate.	Strengthening low carbon timber supply chains supports sustainable construction and reduces emissions.
NRW Adaptation Plan: Development of NRW's Second Climate Adaptation Plan.	A clear adaptation plan helps us manage climate risks and strengthen organisational resilience.
Act as facilitator for the Mid Wales Growth Deal partnership: to support decarbonisation opportunities for the round timber haulage sector, as a part of NRW’s contribution to the Whole System Research for Innovation and Decarbonisation (WSRID) Welsh Government initiative.	Supporting low carbon transport solutions reduces sector emissions and strengthens sustainable rural economies.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure: Increase EVCI capacity by 61 chargers across 16 sites to accelerate fleet decarbonisation in 2027-28.	Expanding charging capacity enables faster transition to a low carbon fleet and reduces operational emissions and costs.

Well-being objective: Pollution is minimised

The outcome we want to achieve by 2030

By 2030, Wales will benefit from clearer advice and regulation, fewer serious pollution incidents and more sustainable use of resources. Strong, risk-based regulation will prevent harm before it happens, early warning signs will be recognised and acted on quickly, and a shift toward efficient resource use will reduce pollution at source. The organisations we regulate will consistently meet high standards, and NRW will lead by example as a zero-pollution and waste organisation.

We will know we are succeeding when compliance improves, serious incidents decline, water quality improves, waste is reduced, behaviours that cause pollution fall across the system and our example helps raise standards across Wales.

What we will deliver this year

In 2026-27, we will prioritise the actions that minimise pollution, strengthen compliance and improve environmental outcomes across Wales. Our commitments this year will:

Accelerate improvements in water quality by delivering integrated, prioritised nutrient management plans at a catchment scale and completing updated WFD assessments to guide targeted action.
Improve compliance and reduce pollution at source by completing targeted audits of Operator Self Monitoring returns, prioritising water companies and high risk sectors, and strengthening compliance so teams can focus on preventing harm.
Embed our revised approach to environmental incident management by strengthening our guidance, tools and training, enabling teams to focus on harmful incidents and free up capacity for prevention-focussed compliance work. This shift will support more consistent, coordinated action to minimise pollution at source.

Together, these actions will strengthen Wales’ ability to minimise pollution, respond quickly when incidents occur and ensure that regulated organisations play their full part in protecting the environment.

How we will enable others across Wales

Tackling pollution requires coordinated action across public bodies, regulators, industry and communities. In 2026-27, we will help others take confident and co-ordinated action to minimise pollution by:

Supporting farmers, land managers and partners to strengthen compliance with the Agricultural (Control of Agricultural Pollution) Regulations by providing clear, practical guidance that builds understanding of regulatory requirements.
Strengthening the regulatory system for water by shaping future legislation and governance with Welsh Government, Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat.
Delivering our Tackling Waste Crime Programme, disrupting organised waste crime through multi-agency intelligence sharing and intelligence-led intervention targeting high-risk operators and organised criminal networks.
Working with Defra to develop digital waste tracking and cross border data sharing to understand waste flows and help identify illegal activity earlier.
Working with local authorities through Fly Tipping Action Wales to target joint activity in fly tipping hot spots supporting earlier, co-ordinated action by us and local authority partners.

These enabling actions help minimise pollution and waste at national scale, ensuring that decisions and behaviours across Wales support long-term environmental protection and cleaner, healthier ecosystems.

How we will measure progress

Table 3: Annual commitments - Pollution is minimised

Description	Why is this important?
Develop NRW’s Catchment Nutrient Recovery plans: for priority catchments to support delivery of an integrated approach to development activity.	Reducing nutrient pollution restores healthier rivers, supports biodiversity, and enables sustainable social and economic development.
Work with water sector: on statutory water planning frameworks and stakeholders on Water Framework Directive Regulations statutory consultations.	Strong statutory planning and well coordinated Water Framework Directive Regulations consultations ensure the water sector takes timely, evidence based action to improve water quality, protect the environment and maintain reliable water supplies.
Complete targeted audits of Operator Self Monitoring results: prioritising water companies and other high-risk sectors to drive better compliance.	Reliable monitoring helps prevent harm to nature and people and builds trust in environmental regulation.
Embed changes to incident management approach and ways of working: to enable a prioritised response to incidents focussing resource to those which cause the most harm.	Prioritising the most harmful incidents ensures faster, more effective responses and better protection for people and the environment.
Shape future water legislation, governance and regulation: by collaborating with Welsh Government, Defra, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.	Strong, forward looking regulation protects communities, safeguards nature, protects communities and underpins long-term economic growth.
Deliver the Tackling Waste Crime Programme: disrupting organised waste crime through intelligence led, multi agency intervention.	Preventing waste crime protects communities, reduces environmental harm and ensures fair, compliant waste management.
Work with Welsh Government and DEFRA: to develop digital waste tracking and cross border data sharing, to understand waste flows and help identify illegal activity earlier.	Effective waste regulation ensures resources are used responsibly, reducing pollution, improving well being and supporting a more sustainable circular economy.

Well-being objective: How we work

The outcome we want to achieve by 2030

By 2030, NRW will work with greater clarity, confidence and purpose. Our people will feel supported and empowered, our services will be streamlined and easier to use, our customers will feel engaged and our decisions will be timely, well-evidenced and transparent. Communication and collaboration will strengthen our relationships and influence, and evidence will guide decisions inside and outside the organisation. Leadership and culture will empower our people to use their expertise to shape better outcomes across nature recovery, climate resilience and pollution minimisation.

What we will deliver this year

In 2026-27 we will strengthen the organisational foundations that enable us to deliver for nature, climate and pollution. This is a transition year in which we will embed the practices, systems and leadership needed for a fully outcome-focussed approach. These actions will help us learn, improve our services and increase our impact. We will:

Strengthen leadership and culture and colleague experience by embedding Leading Together, improving people management induction, delivering the next Ein Llais staff survey, and advancing our equality, safety and wellbeing commitments.
Modernise our Digital, Data and Technology services by stabilising core systems, improving reliability and access, and enhancing customer platforms, starting with Marine Licensing.
Embed an outcome-focused approach to planning and resources by integrating business, finance and workforce planning with service and place planning, and establishing our approach to Green Finance.
Improve the quality, availability and use of evidence by delivering an end to end terrestrial monitoring review, strengthening Earth Observation capability, improving access to third party data, and applying SoNaRR 2025 insights across our work and advocacy.

Together, these actions will strengthen our foundations, improve our effectiveness, and ensure we can deliver with greater clarity, confidence and impact in the year ahead.

How we will enable others across Wales

We will help others act with greater confidence by improving access to evidence, modernising our services and strengthening how we communicate and work with partners. These improvements will support more coordinated, informed action on nature, climate and pollution across Wales. Our commitments this year will:

Help partners and stakeholders take more confident, informed decisions by providing clearer evidence, improved access to third party data, and strengthened insights from SoNaRR 2025 to support aligned action on nature, climate and pollution.
Improve customer confidence and service experience by modernising digital platforms, starting with Marine Licensing, and applying learning to improve the accessibility, timeliness and clarity of other NRW services.
Strengthen collaboration and shared understanding across Wales through more consistent, transparent communication, targeted engagement and improved leadership visibility, helping partners navigate complex environmental challenges.
Enable better planning and investment decisions by embedding an outcome focused planning and performance framework that aligns business, finance, workforce, service and place planning, and by developing approaches such as Green Finance that unlock new opportunities for delivery.

Together these actions will strengthen collaboration, improve the quality of decisions taken across Wales, and help partners act with greater confidence and pace.

How we will measure progress

Table 4: Annual commitments - How we work

Description	Why is this important?
Deliver the next Ein Llais staff survey: to strengthen insight into performance and culture.	Understanding colleague experience helps us be a caring organisation and build a motivated and engaged workforce.
Embed consistent, high-quality leadership: through Leading Together and improved People Management Induction.	Strong leadership enables teams to work confidently and resourcefully, enabling teams to perform at their best.
Strengthen People Services by: Implementing the Strategic Equality plan and Anti Racism plan. Completing the Health and Safety training needs analysis.	Fair, safe and inclusive workplaces show we are caring and ensure colleagues feel supported and valued.
Develop our approach to building an agile workforce: supporting skills development, careers and succession planning.	A skilled, adaptable workforce helps us be bold and resourceful and respond effectively to future challenges.
Develop and implement a transparent, prioritised delivery plan for stabilising and transforming the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) service: to drive improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of our services.	Modern, accessible digital systems helps colleagues work efficiently and improve customer experience.
Enhance the customer platform: and extend the Marine Licensing approach to other NRW services.	Clearer, more accessible services improve the timeliness of decision making, strengthening trust and helping us stay connected to customers and partners.
Improve species and tree felling licensing processes: by delivering a customer focused end to end review.	Streamlined licensing improves the timeliness of decision making, supports the customer and helps protect biodiversity.
Embed the outcome-focused Planning and Performance Framework: integrating business, finance and strategic workforce planning with the multi-year plan and service and place planning.	Aligned planning strengthens our ability to show impact, use resources well and demonstrate value for money.
Establish our approach to Green Finance: to identify investor-ready financial mechanisms and unlock new funding.	Attracting new investment helps accelerate the scale and pace of delivery for nature, climate and communities.
Implement an end-to-end terrestrial monitoring service review: to provide evidence and insights on condition of protected habitats and species and management effectiveness of protected sites.	Reliable evidence helps us understand change, improves decision making and demonstrate progress toward 30by30.
Use SoNaRR 2025 evidence and insights: to strengthen our advocacy and engagement with partners.	Clear, trusted evidence helps influence decisions, support partners and drive coordinated action across Wales.

Our funding for 2026-27

Our funding enables us to deliver our statutory responsibilities and support Wales’ long term environmental ambitions. In 2026-27, our revenue Grant in Aid increases by £8.8 million to £151.5 million, alongside £7.3 million in specific grants for nature recovery, climate action, coal tip safety, waste reform and water quality.

We will continue to draw on diverse income sources: £48.4 million from Welsh Government grants, £8.6 million from external funders, £60.8 million from commercial activity (including £35.6 million in timber), and £51.2 million from regulated charges.

To maximise impact, £3 million of permanent funding will support biodiversity, water quality and cross cutting outcomes. Ministers have also committed £2.7 million in capital for DDaT transformation, including customer platform improvements.

Capital pressures remain significant. This year, £11.9 million is allocated to essential accommodation projects and new leases. Other priorities, including DDaT upgrades and electric fleet transition, will receive only part of the funding required, and we will continue to explore options to bridge these gaps. Flood, NACE, reservoir and coal tip programmes will continue to be funded according to assessed need.

Annex 1: Tracking our progress to 2030

Table 1: Trend metrics - Nature is recovering well-being objective

Description	Trajectory	Why is this important?
Development planning process: maintain a 98% level of service for timely statutory consultee responses.	Stable	Timely responses ensure planning decisions consider nature from the outset and prevent delays to sustainable economic and social development.
Number of SSSIs notified or renotified.	Increase	Expanding and updating protected areas is essential to improving the condition and resilience of Wales’ most important habitats.
Area of Land in Our Care proposed for Naturfa status (spatial protection for nature outside formal designations).	Increase	Increasing spatial protection outside formal designations strengthens ecological networks and supports long term nature recovery.
The Sustainable Farming Scheme delivers protected sites management plans to improve their condition.	Increase	Targeted site management improves the condition of protected areas and delivers measurable biodiversity gains on the ground.
Delivery of priority management interventions across 100 terrestrial protected sites.	Increase	Delivering priority interventions improves the condition and resilience of protected sites, supporting long term nature recovery.
Understanding of the management effectiveness of protected sites.	Increase	Understanding management effectiveness helps target action, improve site condition and strengthen long term environmental outcomes.
Percentage of Milestones achieved to improve the condition of the Marine Protected Area network.	Increase	Achieving programme milestones drives coordinated action to improve the condition and connectivity of the Marine Protected Area network.
Progress in delivering priority river restoration actions.	Increase	Restoring priority river habitats improves water quality and strengthens habitat connectivity, supporting healthier, more resilient river ecosystems.
Number of woodland sites brought into National Forest for Wales.	Increase	Expanding the National Forest strengthens woodland networks, improves habitat quality and increases long term benefits for nature, climate and communities.
Proportion of relevant NRW contracts and frameworks that include explicit biodiversity or nature recovery requirements, with evidence of implementation.	Increase	Influencing supply chains and extends our impact beyond our direct operations and drives wider environmental and social benefit.
Recreation on the Land in Our Care: proportion and number of permissions for activities we give on the land in our care within target timescales, with trends in the type of permission given.	Increase	Expanding fair, sustainable access helps more people experience nature and supports wider community well being benefits.

Table 2: Trend metrics - Communities are resilient to climate change well-being objective

Description	Trajectory	Why is this important?
Hectares of peatland that have undergone restoration activity by the end of 26/27.	Increase	Restoring peatland stores carbon, improves biodiversity and reduces climate risks.
Delivery of actions within the seagrass and saltmarsh restoration plans through proactive engagement with relevant partnerships.	Increase	Restoring coastal habitats strengthens carbon storage, supports wildlife and protects coastlines.
Understanding of flood risk: properties covered by local flood models compared to national flood models for flood risk from rivers and sea.	Increase	More detailed local models improve flood risk understanding and strengthen emergency planning.
NRW Flood assets in High Flood Risk systems at or above required condition.	Stable	Well maintained assets reduce the likelihood and severity of flooding.
Preparedness for flooding: properties that could register to receive a flood warning (coverage).	Increase	Wider coverage increases preparedness and reduces harm when floods occur.
Preparedness for flooding: properties that could register to receive a flood warning (uptake).	Increase	Greater uptake ensures more communities receive timely alerts and can act.
Range of tree species used in our restocking programmes.	Increase	Diversifying tree species strengthens resilience to pests, diseases, and climate impacts as well as improving biodiversity.
Adaptation Actions delivered: Management of climate risks through priority actions in the NRW Climate Change Adaptation Plan.	Increase	Delivering adaptation actions strengthens organisational and environmental resilience to climate impacts.
Total organisational emissions: percentage and total reduction in emissions against 2019/20 baseline.	Decrease	Cutting emissions is essential for meeting Wales’ net zero targets and reducing environmental impact.
Operational emissions: percentage reduction in operational emissions against 2019/20 baseline.	Decrease	Lowering operational emissions demonstrates leadership and reduces NRW’s carbon footprint.
Renewable energy: progress in enabling renewable energy schemes on the land in our care.	Increase	Supporting renewable energy development helps communities tackle the climate emergency and accelerates low carbon transition.
Sustainable timber harvest: timber brought to market.	Within range defined in the Growth & Value strategy	A sustainable harvest supports climate adaptation by improving the resilience and condition of our forests, while contributing to Wales’ low carbon economy and delivering long term benefits for nature and people.
NRW supply chain: proportion of relevant contracts that include carbon reporting and active supplier engagement, with year-on-year improvement in reported supply-chain emissions.	Increase	Influencing supply chains supports wider emission reductions beyond NRW’s direct operations.

Table 3: Trend metrics - Pollution is minimised well-being objective

Description	Trajectory	Why is this important?
Determine all permit applications received within statutory time frames or agreed service levels.	Increase	Timely permitting decisions support responsible economic activity while protecting nature and communities from harm.
Carry out compliance activity across all regulatory regimes in line with the requirements of the Regulatory Service Plan.	Increase	Regular compliance checks help prevent pollution, safeguard the environment and maintain fair standards for businesses.
Carry out appropriate enforcement action in response to illegal activity, permit non-compliance and incidents in line with our Offence Response Options (ORO).	Maintain	Effective enforcement deters harmful behaviour, protects ecosystems and upholds community well being.
Monitor delivery of National Environment Plan improvements by water companies.	Increase	Tracking progress ensures promised improvements benefit rivers, wildlife and the people who depend on reliable water services.
Deliver updated investigations to improve our understanding of the causes of waterbody failure: both Water Framework Directive Regulations and Special Areas of Conservation.	Increase	Good assessments provide the trusted evidence needed to restore river health, protect wildlife and support the communities and businesses that rely on clean, safe water.
Incident management: Number of initial High category incidents as a proportion of all reported incidents.	Maintain	Understanding the scale of serious incidents helps us target action to reduce harm to nature and communities.
Incident management: The initial incident classification is confirmed.	Maintain	Accurate classification ensures the right response, improving environmental protection and public confidence.
Incident management: Respond to all High category incidents within four hours.	Maintain	Rapid response reduces environmental damage and helps protect public health and local well being.
Incident management: Repeat High category incidents in same location as % of substantiated High category incidents.	Reduce	Reducing repeat incidents shows long term risk is being tackled and local environments are becoming safer.
Procurement: Proportion of relevant NRW contracts that include requirements to prevent pollution and reduce waste.	Increase	Influencing our supply chain strengthens environmental protection and supports more sustainable economic practices.

Table 4: Trend metrics - How we work well-being objective

Description	Trajectory	Why is this important?
Number of placements: apprentices, graduates/students.	Increase	Growing early career talent helps us strengthen future capability.
Sgwrs: Colleagues have active performance and development conversations using Sgwrs.	Increase	Regular conversations help us learn, improve how we work and increase our organisational impact.
Stakeholder trust: quarterly stakeholder pulse surveys.	Increase	Understanding stakeholder views helps us learn where to improve and deliver services that build trust.
Communication: proportion of press coverage containing NRW stories and key messages.	Increase	Tracking our messages helps us understand how well we are reaching people and allows us to improve how we explain our impact.
Customer service: percentage of customer requests responded to within defined standard of service.	Increase	Monitoring timeliness helps us learn from customer experience and improve the quality of our services.
Cyber security: safe and resilient Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) systems.	Increase	Stronger cyber controls help us protect our data, maintain safe and reliable services and learn where resilience needs to improve.
Use of SoNaRR in external decision making: number of partner plans, policies or investment cases that reference SoNaRR evidence.	Increase	Tracking who uses SoNaRR helps us understand its reach and how it informs decisions across Wales.
Marine evidence: evidence gathered on specific species and habitats through Marine Nature Networks investigations.	Increase	Better evidence enables more effective decision making and action to restore marine ecosystems and protect vulnerable species.

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