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  • ESG Radio Broadcast 12th November 2020


    ESG Radio Newsletter 12th November 2020

    Good day to all. A few issues to share with you in today’s newsletter. As the difficult 2020 year draws to a close it nevertheless includes two more DPC dates that include new development projects in Gibraltar. Now more than ever the public can see the process and level of discussion that takes place at these meetings being screened live. We urge you to tune in – the sessions are long but the agenda is published at dpc.gi a week beforehand and you can tune in for the more important projects. Dates for next mtgs are the 19th November and 17th December starting at usual time of 9.30am. Mobile masts will feature and more positively the GRA rollout of real-time radio signal monitoring units.

    The ESG has relied upon the European Commission many a time in our 20 year history. While far from perfect it nevertheless has provided mechanisms to take up cross border environmental issues which have been extremely impacting on the entire bay region and its citizens. It is with concern that we face an uncertain future regarding this lack of redress and we hope other mechanisms will be put in place that will act as independent watchdogs both here and in the UK  – watchdogs but with teeth clearly. More on this over the next few weeks.

    Covid has shattered lives everywhere both in health, economic and social terms and it is not over yet. We know also that Climate Change demands urgent action and so it is positive to hear that with a different President at the helm in the USA (tho all but confirmed), that they will once again support the Paris Climate agreement and give this the weight it needs. Boris Johnson has been in the press recently also giving support for action on the importation of goods from disappearing forests around the world and the need to take responsibility for this. We have always believed that change needs to happen at every tier – policy – business – community. We must all take on these big issues in our own way as David Attenborough so eruditely put it recently in his phenomenal A Life on the Planet documentary.

    This leads us to the traffic conundrum brought about by a series of measures taken by Government to make meaningful change on Line Wall road to reduce traffic levels. The ESG had welcomed the announcement when made as many cities around the world, in full lockdown, once again started walking, cycling and breathing cleaner air. There is no question in our minds that change on our roads is essential. Traffic numbers and vehicle ownership alone demands some controls and limits – we only have so much road space. Additionally we are in a window of opportunity to trial out measures because mass tourism, something our community has embraced with all the good and bad that entails, is absent at present – but with the hopeful departure of Covid – will return again. It would be a real plus for our community to have introduced further road calming measures, studied and implemented the visionary and well researched STTPP, before we return to the mayhem on our roads from multiple flights, cruise liners, and associated road traffic. We will be publishing our own ideas on this shortly.

    It will take technology, investment and personal effort but we think our community can and should work towards this.

    Finally – check out the online OTWO magazine that carries a special article on the history of our Clean up Campaign in Gibraltar – also visit esg-gib.net for more information on the general issues we follow and lobby on.



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