The power of finding common ground: What Cymru Together showed during an election

Over six months, 240 organisations came together behind three shared priorities for Wales: making life fairer, putting power in people’s hands, and restoring nature for everyone. Climate Cymru’s post-election analysis found clear echoes of these priorities across multiple party manifestos. It showed what organisations can achieve when they work together around shared values rather than competing priorities.

The period leading up to an election often sharpens political differences. Parties seek to distinguish themselves from one another, public debate becomes more contested, and attention turns towards competing visions for Wales.

Against that backdrop Cymru Together was formed: a collective effort involving 240 organisations from across Welsh society which sought to identify areas of shared priorities and values at a time when many of the challenges facing Wales are closely connected.

Much is often said about collaboration, but meaningful collaboration can be difficult to sustain. Organisations work under different pressures and timeframes, with limited resources and competing priorities. Many organisations are also incentivised to focus on their own goals rather than investing time in collective work whose outcomes are less predictable. The fact that 240 organisations chose to participate in a collective process matters in its own right. Environmental groups, charities, community organisations, faith groups, businesses, cultural bodies and campaigners all brought different experiences, priorities and expertise. 

The breadth of support reflected that the challenges facing Wales are bigger than any one organisation. Climate change, nature loss, economic insecurity and community wellbeing are deeply connected. No one organisation has all the answers, but together they bring wider experience, stronger relationships and a broader understanding of what’s needed.

Reaching agreement is not always straightforward, but conversations across the partnership revealed common ground, particularly around the relationship between the cost of living, economic fairness, climate action and the health of the natural environment.

Reaching agreement is not always straightforward, but conversations across the partnership revealed common ground, particularly around the relationship between the cost of living, economic fairness, climate action and the health of the natural environment.

These conversations led to three shared priorities that partners felt could help shape a fairer, greener and more resilient Wales. Together, they formed the basis of Cymru Together’s open letter to political parties ahead of the election.

• Make life fairer. Partners agreed that making life fairer means investing in warmer homes and cheaper, cleaner energy. Tackling leaky homes and supporting rooftop solar can help families across Wales reduce energy bills while creating secure jobs and improving health.
• Put power in people’s hands. Partners shared a vision of a fairer Welsh economy where renewable energy delivers lasting benefits for local communities. Ensuring energy projects create local value, while supporting workers to lead the transition, can create secure jobs and keep more wealth within Wales.
• Restore nature for everyone. Partners recognised that clean rivers, nutritious food and thriving wildlife are fundamental to people’s wellbeing. Supporting farmers and communities to restore nature and produce sustainable food, while holding polluters to account, can improve health, protect the places we value and leave a more resilient Wales for future generations.

Messages connected to all three priorities appeared across election discussions and party manifestos. Particularly encouraging was the level of cross-party alignment around renewable energy and ensuring the transition delivers lasting benefits for Welsh communities. That growing consensus could help build a fairer energy economy in the next Senedd.

One of Climate Cymru’s strengths since its formation has been its ability to bring different perspectives together. That does not eliminate disagreement, nor should it. The value lies in creating enough trust and common ground for organisations to work constructively across differences while remaining grounded in their own areas of expertise and experience.

Lasting changes in public thinking rarely happen because of a single campaign. More often, they evolve through years of work undertaken by many different people and organisations. As ideas spread, public expectations can begin to shift.

The challenges facing Wales have not disappeared with the conclusion of the election. Questions about energy, housing, nature, public services and economic resilience will remain central to the years ahead. What Cymru Together demonstrated is that there remains considerable appetite across Welsh civil society to engage with these questions collectively and to seek solutions that reflect how closely these issues are linked.

Cymru Together reminds us that common ground does exist, even during an election campaign. Finding it does not mean everyone agrees on every issue. It means recognising where shared values can create momentum for change. At a time when public debate can often feel divided, that may be one of the most important foundations for building a fairer, greener and more resilient Wales.

If you or your organisation would like to get involved in Cymru Together as the partnership continues to work with the new Senedd, or any other initiative facilitated by Climate Cymru please email us helo@climate.cymru. 

If you would like to stay up-to-date with events and opportunities, sign up to our newsletter here.