ESG Radio Newsletter
Key words: CUTW 29th September Zero Waste Campaign Cepsa Oil Refinery Expansion Traffic & Transport
Noise & Air Pollution in South District DPC New Harbour Rooftop Renewable Energy programme
Hi there. Some updates coming up in our key campaigns and we also look at some local and regional environmental issues, of concern to our members and the wider public.
To start with we can report that preparations for this years CUTW are going extremely well especially networking with partners and equipment preparations. We shall be contacting team leaders very soon to brief them on 2018 plans and aims. With early bird planning, preparations for an impacting parade, exhibition and activities leading up to the Clean up should help us achieve more of our goals. This years date for the main event is the 29th September. The media is awash with the blight of plastic in the natural environment – indeed one of the key motivators for our clean ups when we started back in 2005.
Each year we have become less reliant on single use items ourselves and 2018 will see us improve our own impact further. We are aiming for a Zero Waste Campaign applying reusable tools, systems and equipment and eliminating the plastics use as much as we can. Our volunteers are producing hardwearing equipment sacks, which are very impressive. We are calling upon the community to help by donating strong buckets and we shall also be sourcing these second hand as much as possible. However this will be a key component in replacing single use bin bags and so we are also looking for sponsors to ensure we have a good number in place to equip our hundreds of volunteers. Please contact us on 200-48996 or drop in on a Tuesday with your bucket donation to our premises in Wellington Front, Vault number 12! Thanks to all once again.
In other news we are concerned about expansion plans at CEPSA Oil Refinery in the Spanish press given that any increase in production will result in an increase in localised pollution. This particular expansion relates to a section of the plant that lies a mere stone throw away from an already heavily impacted Puente Mayorga area. No doubt residents will be objecting to this proposal despite the, albeit temporary, 250 jobs created in the construction phase. We shall be sharing our concerns over the proposed expansion in Brussels given the need for the company to instead invest in reducing its toxic environmental impacts.
The ESG is monitoring traffic and transport issues, which affect Gibraltar and are currently looking at emissions and idling in private sector vehicle fleets. We shall be releasing more details on this soon. We continue to receive complaints about noise and air pollution affecting south district residents from GibDock and nearby bunkering vessels and are following up on these as usual.
A note for your diary is the Development and Planning Commission will next sit on the 25th April. Be sure to check the agenda items a week before on the Town Planning website for details of what is coming up and you can also check all validated applications that will be seeking approval at some stage on egov.gi.
We would like to finish on a positive note and have seen works going on at New Harbours rooftops. We hear these are in preparation for a large solar project. This is great news and a measure we have been calling for, for some time. Hope Government releases more details soon. Visit out website esg-gib.net for all our press releases and more.