Key Words:  DPC/ New Centre / Community Support/ Volunteers / New Cleaning Contract/ Plastics !!

With January fast coming to a close the ESG would like to offer some information on issues it is following very closely.

With planning, for example, yesterday saw the first 2018 DPC meeting, that’s the Development and Planning Commission, lasting close to 5 hours. Many items were on the agenda and a note to those interested that detailed minutes of all such mtgs are eventually posted on the Town Planning Website, clicking on the DPC page. The local media have today focused on the proposed new clay pigeon shooting, schools and apartment projects. You can find out all about those in the press. The ESG also raised concerns about a new marine diesel-fuelling project for the Port and had recommended fume capture technology, which was discussed and conditioned as part of the permit.

We are presently going through a busy and very positive period in developing our small base with a great team of volunteers, and also involved in a series of talks and presentations. This forms a major part of our outreach programme which is brought about via the community wide Clean up the World Campaign we have run for the past 13 years. It helps maintain a focus on our natural environment and need for greater civic pride as well as shine a light on all key environmental issues we face as a community.

Our community has also been generous in assisting us in our work and centre with recent donations very gratefully received from Bassadone Gibraltar and Eroski. We thank them both very sincerely.

Clean up the World has since 2005 tackled specific clean ups in green areas, coastal and underwater sites and cliffs. All these are important wildlife habitats as well part of our homeland and their historic neglect has fuelled our passion to see this change. With persistence and sustained lobbying things are changing and we hope a new cleaning contract, soon to be awarded to take Gibraltar onto another level of care and maintenance will eliminate more of our clean up hotspots.

Plastics: Global awareness of the plastic threat has reached new heights with news emerging daily of the urgency and scale of the problems. The UK has been exposed in its failure to cope with its plastic recycling sending a vast amount of this waste collected to China. The UK Govt is now pledging to do more- clearly a lot more is needed. The EU only last week published a paper on how it proposes this issue must be tackled from production through to consumer and while a critical and impressive document it lacks urgency and immediate action, enforcement etc. It also makes one ask how well is Europe handling its recycling objectives??

You can find links to these reports and more on our website esg-gib.net

We look forward to hearing from you and thanks for listening.