The ESG draws attention to World Earth Day celebrated tomorrow the 22^nd of April 2023. Fortunately these annual, global dates alone are no longer the only drivers for environmental action today but they do highlight the immense challenges ahead.

Halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 still remains the goal to preserve a liveable planet with net zero emissions to follow by 2050. That’s just 7 and 27 years away…literally a blink of an eye. The ESG will continue to press for greater and more visible action to be taken by all levels of society with Government clearly needed to set the agenda for action and priority.

More locally we also face the ongoing works to remove the OS35 vessel from our coastline. Even today, teams organised by the Department of the Environment have been removing tar balls from Sandy and Little Bay. We commend their monitoring and clean up but regret this ongoing oil pollution even running through to World Earth Day itself. The group notes that all beaches will be open to the public barring Little Bay, that will be partially closed, as works there continue. The ESG shares the widely held view that the removal of this vessel cannot come too soon.

On a more positive note it highlights another clean up led by The Nautilus Project on Sunday 23^rd April to mark World Earth Day from 11.30 to 1pm at Rosia Bay welcoming all volunteers.

“The ESG was very concerned to see the oil spill from OS35 hit our shores last week. Conditions made it difficult to gauge the scale of the problem.

 However the number of cleaning teams involved from the early stages ensured the worst of the oil was removed quite quickly and was prevented from being washed back out to sea. 

The ESG also monitored the oil afflicted areas in efforts to support the clean up underway and thanks the Dept of the Environment for frequent updates of the progress made as well as its own standby team of volunteers.

The group will wait for an official assessment of the overall damage to our coastline, as calmer weather will permit a more thorough inspection to be carried out.

The Gibraltar coastline is very much part of our social fabric as well as a natural environment and is clearly ecologically important as well as a matter of public interest. 

The group remains concerned that further oil spills could occur and sincerely hopes that every effort is made for the removal of the wreck  before any more is released.”

See following article by Gibraltar Chronicle:

The ESG has seen media announcements regarding financing for the Eastside development.

The group would like to take this opportunity to raise a few important issues regarding this major development in the hope that more information will soon be shared with the community.

At a key DPC meeting last year, where outline planning permission was granted for the land and marina projects, the general understanding was that concerns made over environmental impacts had been heard.  Recommendations were made that ongoing monitoring would be required over the lengthy period of time of construction – (some 10 years cited) to ensure that EIA outcomes, currently predicting no real impact on the marine environment, or water quality, were in fact, accurate. The ESG believes there are grounds for some of the concerns raised that requires further analysis.

Additionally there was broad support for the reduction of small boat berths to half (200) of what was planned (400), and discussion on whether this would lead to reconfiguration of the marina, reduction in size, etc. The group asks whether plans are being revised or not.

The ESG notes that each step of the development will see specific plans, materials and information presented to the DPC.  Notwithstanding, it believes that projects of such a transformational nature, changing the face of the Caleta area forever, should see additional promotion and public outreach outside of the planning process itself, by way of public exhibitions and models. This would enable dialogue and a fuller appreciation of the project vision, and hear concerns and questions from the community. This request was raised and responded to positively by TNG at the DPC meeting.

The group hopes to hear of such steps being taken soon.