It’s not been a full year since we began experiencing the full challenge and restrictions from the coronavirus that has provoked such unease, change in life circumstance, and tragedy. We hope that change is coming and that a semblance of normality will soon resume.

As issues of interest and concern to the ESG have been announced in the press recently, we felt this is a good opportunity today to run through some of these in our radio newsletter.

Last week we heard about the issuing of an LNG Bunkering Licence to Shell to operate from the Gibraltar Port Authority. While this prospect was raised a number of times during the early Power Station negotiations and technical preparations, we believe there remain a number of questions that should be answered. Where the storage for such a service comes from? What the short, medium to long-term plans are to balance LNG and Diesel bunkering capacity given our restricted anchorage facilities?  How will this impact the growth in business on the main carbon impacting activity in Gibraltar during a period of global divestment in fossil fuels? And how we must include this activity in our Climate Action Plans. Please visit our website for a full statement on this issue.

Last week also saw a very positive development on the legislation of the increase in Energy Performance Certificate criteria for renewable energy use in major buildings. This is a solid step in recognising the major impact that large-scale development has on our carbon footprint. While not meeting our call fully for an entire building project to be measured in carbon terms from the first brick laid, it nevertheless brings a necessary reality check to these major structures we are seeing and how sustainable they are.

This measure falls within Gibraltar’s climate targets and we hope to see the release and publication of the full Climate Action plans which has seen serious delay due to Covid, to follow this positive step.

With COP26 Climate Conference taking place in Glasgow later this year especially in light of renewed USA support we sincerely hope that a line will be drawn in the sand with less hot air and frustration and meaningful actions rolled out. 

The world needs good news right now and turning a corner on climate action would be very good news indeed.

Thanks for listening.