Well, another year comes to a close…do we see environmental progress? In some respects yes, more awareness, a maturing Environmental Ministry, more stringent application of environmental legislation, yet is it all really enough?

The ESG believes that communities everywhere are experiencing similar environmental problems or challenges and that it is up to each one to adopt necessary steps to do its bit towards a healthier and more sustainable planet.

It is widely recognised that political machinery alone is insufficient to press through the more difficult decisions and therefore people everywhere must become better informed on the environment and the challenges it faces in order for these decisions to be easier to push through by any authority.

The recent climate change summit in Montreal was more positive than in previous years; it is believed that people pressure, particularly in the USA, was behind this reluctant consent to a global way forward to tackle global warming.

It is happening, whether it is fast enough or not, at last, the tide is beginning to turn and we must act now to limit our damaging impact on the planet. Gibraltar has its part to play. As well as surviving both politically and economically, most of all, we must ensure that long-term decisions made today prioritise environmental consequences and cost.

No longer can we pretend that local politics alone are what govern Gibraltar. We must wake up to the reality of being part of a global situation, dependent on imports for everything, dependent on foreign investments for much of our income, in short, the very opposite of being self-sufficient in any respect.

Perhaps many of Gibraltar’s leaders consider us immune from any future negative environmental consequences which scientists warn us are likely, given the direction and values we, as a human race, hold today. However, we would be the only community in the world to be in that unique position.

Let us all therefore put aside our political differences, look at science, at facts, and make decisions for ourselves and future generations that show that at the very least, Gibraltar also has a global foothold on reality.

Wishing you a warm, peaceful and thoughtful festive season.

The ESG Committee.