Hello-

This will be our last 2014 broadcast…can’t quite believe another year has shot past…definitely encourages one to be philosophical and take stock of where we are.

The ESG has campaigned through the year on our objectives for a healthy and clean environment and looks ahead to 2015 determined to stay the course. Naturally anyone looking at our wish list can see that quite a few of our key goals are being met, even if in the process of, but this is positive and to be welcomed. Our role is to ensure that announcements are followed up with action and completion and so we shall continue to monitor the big issues that concern us such as Cross border pollution, Power Station and energy source, bunkering, waste oil management, transport and traffic, EMF – the invisible pollution, waste water treatment plant, renewable energy, use of Best Available Technology and Gibraltar’s meaningful action on Climate Change. After ten years of clean up we shall also be considering new ideas for this strong community campaign for 2015- watch this space!!

We shall also be reviewing the last Environmental Action and Management Plan issued under the present administration as there are delays in the implementation of a number of highly impacting activity which affects our quality of life and influences our performance on greenhouse gas emissions and therefore on Climate Change. The Transport Plan that will aim to modify vehicular use and promote alternative and clean mobility is yet to be published in spite of a number of public promises.

Nevertheless, the recent awarding of major contracts on the new Power Station and on the Sewage Plant is a clear sign of Government commitment – these will provide radical change in removing pollutants from our skies and seas and cannot come about too soon.

While Govts, civil servants and businesses have important roles to play on environmental issues, we, as individuals and families, could also look to 2015 to see how we can improve our own carbon footprint, wastefulness and habits. Perhaps a pledge at New Years to ramp up our recycling, we don’t need special containers to do this – to use less packaging at the stores, take our own bags, check labels for the most environmentally friendly option, and use energy friendly bulbs, could help improve Gibraltar’s performance too!

With the recent report published by the GHA advocating prevention rather than cure as the way forward for our community, what better than choosing to walk or part walk and bus your journeys whenever you can?

As the great work done by Nazareth House and the GBC Open Day this week demonstrates, our community is relatively affluent and generous in supporting those in need and work done by charities and NGOs. This affluence should also give us breathing space to consider our actions and make the green choice.

Have a great and peaceful Christmas and we would like to thank the community for its continued support of our work and objectives.