ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, April 25th, 2012 – The Conservation and Fisheries Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour is encouraging the community to participate in the various activities planned for Environment Month under the theme “The Green Economy – Does it Include You?”
Acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer, Mr. Kelvin Penn speaking with the Department of Information and Public Relations said, “June is Environment Month, a time to celebrate, reflect upon and work to protect our bountiful and fragile environment that sustains us all.”
“This year we are urging all businesses, government departments, schools, community based organisations, churches and other groups to take meaningful action for the environment and become part of the Green Economy by making their own “Green Pledge,” Mr. Penn explained.
He continued to explain that a “Green Pledge” is any type of action that a business, department or organisation decides to implement starting in 2012 to help protect the environment. Pledges may include actions to cut down on their waste production, energy or water use, to properly dispose of waste, to help educate customers about better environmental practices, to support environmental work or to implement their own environmental stewardship project.
Mr. Penn also added that all organisations that take the pledge will be recognised with the Department’s official seal of the Green Pledge for their public display and will also be recognised on the Department’s Web site and invited to promote their pledge by participating in the Department’s annual Parade for the Planet, being dubbed this year as the “Parade of Pledges,” slated for June 13, 2012.
Commenting on the initiative, Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour said Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering said, , “There are many small, low or no cost actions that businesses, departments and others can take that together would eliminate tons of garbage from the waste stream and reduce the demand and cost of water and electricity. Not only will this benefit the environment, but the businesses and organisations making the pledge as they save money and improve their public image.”
Environmental Officer at the department Ms. Angela Burnett Penn, who is one of the organisers for the Parade for the Planet, said there is an endless list of relatively easy actions that businesses can take and these are readily available to businesses through a specially designed downloadable Green Pledge Guide which includes example pledges and sample actions to help businesses and other organisations in making a pledge. The Green Pledge Guide is available through the Department’s website, www.bvidef.org.
“I encourage the private and public sectors and community groups to get creative with their pledges; offices may pledge to eliminate unnecessary printing or to print double sided, restaurants may pledge to replace throwaway Styrofoam containers with washable dishware, hotels may choose to replace their regular light bulbs with energy efficient ones and install water saving faucets, supermarkets may choose to require use of reusable shopping bags and community groups may pledge to educate about the environment or adopt a mangrove area,” Ms. Penn suggested.
Pledges should be made no later than Friday June 1, 2012. The Green Pledge registration form is available on the Department’s website www.bvidef.org and can be submitted by email cfd@gov.vg, fax 494-2670 or delivered to the Department at the Quastisky Building on the 2nd floor in Road Town.
For further information about the Green Pledge visit the Department’s website or contact Ms. Angela Burnett Penn at the Conservation and Fisheries Department at 494-3429.
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British Virgin Islands News