Gibraltar was buzzing with teams today from around 9am this morning, heading to sites, ready to do their bit for our environment – with great success!

Over 500 volunteers, at 26 sites, cleared, picked, grabbed and swept shorelines, revetments, underwater sites, open water and various green habitats throughout our Nature Reserve, in a bid to free them of plastics, and other non-biodegradable waste. Several truckloads later the day has ended with many positive stories, some frustrations over litter found, and lessons learnt as per every year.

While we go through the teams reports and feedback we wanted to take this chance to thank everyone who took part and those who supported the campaign.

Our volunteers displayed great civic pride and care for our beautiful environment and that is priceless.

We shall be releasing a more detailed account of the actions taken and the campaigns current aims very soon.

CLEAN UP THE WORLD 2021 PRESS RELEASE

Organisers of this years Clean up the World are pleased to confirm widespread support from our community for this Saturday’s awareness raising action. Schools, Clubs, Agencies, NGOs, businesses, families and the Gibraltar Regiment will make up the over 500 volunteers registered.

26 teams and supporters will be spread throughout our coastlines, green areas and a few estates picking up litter and expressing civic pride.

Abseiling, boat access, dive clean ups and open water sites will also be tackled.

We are thankful for the overwhelming support and enthusiasm shown in response to the call out for volunteers and believe our environment will once again benefit from this great community effort. We also thank the Department of the Environment and Britannia for their assistance and support.

The knock-on effects from the clean ups last far beyond the weekend action where team work, networking across sectors of our society, and testing our cleaning and maintenance programmes positively contributes to improving how we behave in our natural environment and importantly how we must look after it.

Naturally we believe facilities, education and enforcement on littering and fly tipping are also important targets in this campaign and are highlighted among our volunteers and the wider community via the media.

Watch out for our volunteers on Saturday morning and for further reports next week.

CLEAN UP THE WORLD 2021 PRESS RELEASE

Organisers of this years Clean up the World are pleased to confirm widespread support from our community for this Saturday’s awareness raising action. Schools, Clubs, Agencies, NGOs, businesses, families and the Gibraltar Regiment will make up the over 500 volunteers registered.

26 teams and supporters will be spread throughout our coastlines, green areas and a few estates picking up litter and expressing civic pride.

Abseiling, boat access, dive clean ups and open water sites will also be tackled.

We are thankful for the overwhelming support and enthusiasm shown in response to the call out for volunteers and believe our environment will once again benefit from this great community effort. We also thank the Department of the Environment and Britannia for their assistance and support.

The knock-on effects from the clean ups last far beyond the weekend action where team work, networking across sectors of our society, and testing our cleaning and maintenance programmes positively contributes to improving how we behave in our natural environment and importantly how we must look after it.

Naturally we believe facilities, education and enforcement on littering and fly tipping are also important targets in this campaign and are highlighted among our volunteers and the wider community via the media.

Watch out for our volunteers on Saturday morning and for further reports next week.

Joint Press Release 8th September 2021

Rosia Bay

The ESG, GONHS and GHT are vehemently opposed to a development that is being proposed at Rosia Bay. 

The site is hugely important to Gibraltar as a community, leisure, heritage and ecological area, not to mention its international significance to European naval history.

The scheme proposes residential development of up to 75 residential units, despite the site being designated as a tourism, leisure, and recreational area only by the Gibraltar Development Plan 2009.  Furthermore, in 2016 the DPC unanimously rejected a proposed residential development at Rosia Bay that included only six apartments. The GSLP/Liberal party election manifesto in 2019 included plans for the restoration of the Bay and the provision of a recreational facility which is more in line with preserving the value and setting of this special place.

The Scoping Report for the EIA process for the proposal was today ratified on majority by the DPC.  Significantly, no imagery or plans have been submitted to date to inform the scoping report.

Aside from the residential units, the proposal also includes commercial units, onsite residential and commercial parking facilities, the extension of the current concrete platform and coastline westwards by about 12m which will include costal protection works and a crown wall of approximately 3-4m in height.

Privatisation of any part of the Bay is unacceptable.  Marring of the heritage value of structures at or around the site is unacceptable.  Our view is that any development that includes a residential element or significant massing at the site should not be entertained from the outset, and we cannot comprehend why a project that includes residential development is being considered. We are confident that the public will join us in urging that development at Rosia Bay focuses solely on restoring the heritage asset and providing public amenity.  The site deserves it, and so do Gibraltar’s people.

Gibraltar once again takes part and supports the global Clean up the World taking place on Saturday 18th September 2021.

With most teams registered we can now consider only accepting individuals who can be added to teams.

Thanks Gibraltar for supporting Clean up the World

The ESG welcomes the recent statement by a member of the Taxi Association that it has successfully trialled electric taxis in the Upper Rock.

The group hopes that Government notes the passion and interest expressed by Ronnie Ignacio of the Association over the possibilities that running a fully electric taxi service in Gibraltar could bring in terms of reducing noise and air pollution particularly in the Upper Rock.

The ESG believes the issue of creating charging stations and a suitable location should be possible.  It further hopes that despite Covid impacts on our economy, co-financing such necessary changes to Gibraltar’s transport, which in turn would bring dividends from reducing fossil fuel consumption, could form part of measures to reduce emissions and improve our air quality.

This would also improve our tourism product and help meet climate change targets