Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you greetings from the Government and people of the British Virgin Islands.
It is indeed an honour for me to stand here and address this audience on such an important topic, my sincere thanks for the invitation. As Minister with responsibility for the environment, in the British Virgin Islands, I shall endeavour to do my part to keep the issue of the environment at the forefront.
The United Nations defines a Green Economy as 'one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities’.
The Psalmist David reminds us that the earth is the Lord's and fullness thereof.
A Green Economy is one in which our economic development is driven by a development framework that is grounded in sustainability. Reduction of pollution, improved efficiency in the use of energy and our natural resources and the adoption of healthier lifestyles and habits are some of the key building blocks to a "Green Economy".
No matter the term used we can rest assured that the environment is changing, and changing rapidly, and it demands that we act quickly to mitigate against the unfavorable effects of this change that will engulf us.
Whether we have accepted it or not, phenomena such as rising temperatures, sea level rise and stronger hurricanes will continue to impact this region. We are warned by the experts that the cost of climate change to the GDP of small islands of the Caribbean will be significantly higher than the global average.
The Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands, in March of this year, approved the Virgin Islands Climate Change Policy which was funded through the United Kingdom based Enhancing Capacity for Adaptation to Climate Change (ECACC) Project with technical help provided by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) based in Belize.
This policy is intended to guide the mainstreaming of the Territory’s adaptation to the impacts and effects of climate change with the aim of achieving low-carbon climate resilient development.
Specifically, the policy deals with, among other things, enhancing the resilience and natural adaptive capacity of our natural resources, including terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems as well as the fishery resource base. It creates and maintains a better managed, more resilient, diverse and environmentally sound tourism industry, thus promoting energy conservation and efficiency and encouraging the use of renewable energy to reduce our national energy bill and increase our energy security.
Many of the directives under this policy will become a part of the day to day business of the Territory. I am not sure where you are in your preparations to mitigate against the effects of climate change, but I implore you to make haste.
We are told by the experts that in 50 years a number of island nations around the world will cease to exist. As far as I am aware they have not mentioned any of the islands in the Caribbean basin, but this does not mean that we are not at risk.
Living in harmony with our environment to ensure that it continues to provide us the resources that we depend on to sustain our life, our health and our economy is important to long term survival. What would we do without our clean air or beautiful landscapes and seascapes that attract millions of visitors to our shores each year?
Unfortunately, we may soon find out, as these are quickly becoming marred by poor development practices and polluted by litter and other wastes. We depend intimately on our diverse and highly valuable coastal and marine resources from our beaches, to the reefs that sustain our fisheries and other marine life, to the water we drink.
In March of next year the Caribbean will converge in the British Virgin islands for the first ever Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) of Caribbean Political leaders and CEOs. This summit of political and business leaders is being spearheaded by the Prime Minister of Grenada Honorable Tillman Thomas, the Premier of the British Virgin
Islands, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE and Sir Richard Branson’s Company Virgin Unite.
The meetings are scheduled to take place on Necker Island and Bitter End in North Sound Virgin Gorda. This initiative will bring together, Government and business leaders from nations across the Caribbean region to “challenge” ourselves to protect at least 20 percent of our near-shore marine and coastal environment by the year 2020, Nations that have also committed to instituting mechanisms that will generate long-term funding for protection of the marine and coastal environment.
The resources that we have not fully harnessed as yet, like the brilliant sunshine and the Northeast Trade Winds could power our homes and businesses.
Perhaps in no other setting than a small island is the connection and dependence between the environment and man so explicit. We depend on finite and fragile resources, we have the capacity to fundamentally impact our environment and the impact we have on our environment eventually has an impact on us.
The global business community is awakening to this reality and it is time that we do too. As quoted from an American Express commercial, “we're part of nature and as we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It's a selfish thing to want to protect nature.”
Because of this understanding, we also have to recognise that we cannot leave the charge of protecting the environment, our lifeline, to only a few. If we are concerned about the development of this region, we ought to be concerned about our environment. And if we are concerned about how we will live tomorrow, next year and how our children will live for that matter, we ought to be concerned about our environment. There is no tourism without the environment.
Unless and until the environment becomes everyone’s business, and is thought about, and seriously considered in every decision we make, we can forget about an environment that will be in any condition to maintain our economy, secure our development or continue to provide the lifestyle we now enjoy.
On January 23, 2012 twenty one (21) Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) of the European Union (EU), including the British Virgin Islands, signed a Political Declaration in Brussels, Belgium. In item number six (6) of the declaration the OCTs have agreed to “facilitate the participation of meetings/seminars amongst OCTs, with the EC and with other relevant partners, by informing them about the EU policies and strategies on biodiversity, environment, and sustainable marine management. Climate change, access to appropriate resources, and assistance in generating knowledge about the
OCTs’ unique biodiversity, the threats faced due to climate change as well as adaptation to these changes whilst being mindful of the long term objective of the cooperation with the European Commission on environment and climate change;”
“Continue funding the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories (BEST) Scheme with the objectives of strengthening the EU-OCT partnership, increasing awareness of biodiversity and climate change in the OCTs, building the bridge between the OCTs and Europe on the environment and biodiversity and securing the future of BEST Scheme whilst recognizing the limited human and administrative resources in the territories and the need to simplify the application process; further consider the challenges faced by some OCTs in accessing the programme, the right of OCTs to control access to their environmental assets and their desire for more robust guidelines that respect the environment interests of the OCTs and appropriately balance them with those of third parties conducting programmes under BEST.”
On February 22 and 23 the Joint Nature Conservancy (JNCC) and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) held a two-day conference in the British Virgin Islands. The focus of the conference was to bring awareness to the participants on how to integrate the environment into decision making.
Other topics discussed were, communicating the value of the environment, greening the tourism industry and undertaking an economic assessment of the value of the environment to the British Virgin Islands economy.
As a follow up to the forum in Brussels, on April 26, 2012, ten (10) Overseas Countries and Territories (Dutch and English Speaking), including the British Virgin Islands, met in Curacao and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories Council. During the meeting, matters for discussion included, among other topics, issues relative to the heightened concern about environment. BVI was nominated to host the Secretariat.
In this sub-region and indeed the greater Caribbean region we face a number of practical dilemmas that going “Green” can help to solve. There is the cost of energy and climate problem. We are all intimately aware that the cost of electricity and gas continues to rise and energy security remains a serious issue.
Also, inherent in the import and use of fossil fuels is the possibility of oil spills that, if occur will seriously pollute our coastlines. Climate change is a direct result of humans’ unchecked use of fossil fuels to produce energy. While the Caribbean region, as a whole, contributes little to the problem, we are on the frontline of the impacts and must be a part of the global effort to curb the problem.
Secondly, there is the water issue. Traditionally a dry climate, we have very limited freshwater resources. This situation will intensify as the climate changes and to further compound the issue, the Caribbean region is predicted to receive less overall rainfall in the future. Thirdly, the solid waste situation across the region is out of control and we need to move swiftly towards recycling and using more biodegradable containers.
We have not been doing a very good job of treating these islands we call home well or using our resources wisely. If we are concerned about living in and passing on healthy islands, we have to take strong actions now to rewrite the storyline.
To rephrase an ancient American proverb, "Treat our islands well: they were not given to us by our parents, they were loaned to us by our children.”
Our commitment is to change the way we think and live. This does not mean going back to the Stone Age; rather it means rethinking and getting smarter about how we do things.
We can use a standard toilet that requires five gallons per flush or a low-flush model that uses only 1.6 gallons per flush? We must reduce excessive volume of unnecessary waste that will quickly find its way to our dump sites to be burnt and ultimately pollute the air. We must find methods to reduce the waste we produce and ultimately to recycle. The sun and wind energy are at our ready disposal; we don’t have to continue to solely rely on fossil fuels.
As Government Leaders, as business leaders, as community leaders and as individuals, we all have a role to play. Government’s role should be as the facilitator and example setter. Only Government can provide the policy and legal framework, set and enforce environmental standards and provide the basic public infrastructure, such as proper facilities for waste management, to ensure the environment is protected. Government must play a role through providing incentives that then drive businesses and individuals to making smarter and “greener” decisions.
We find a perfect example right here in our region in the case of Barbados. Presently, there are over 50,000 solar water heaters installed in Barbados, this represents about 50 percent of the housing stock. Cumulative consumer savings as a result of this massive “Green” conversion is over $US400 million to date.
This represents serious savings on the country and individual level when we consider that a solar water heater can pay for itself in one to two years. There were many important factors and actors, but chief among them was the important role the government played through provision of fiscal incentives.
Also happening within the British Virgin Islands, is a push to have a number of sites declared as Ramsar and World Heritage sites; these are very long and involved processes, that can take years, but we have started.
Additionally, to enhance our system of protected areas we are on the verge of declaring a number of sites, such as Long Bay Beef Island, Smugglers Cove, and Belmont as national parks.
In the British Virgin Islands I have adopted as my mantra the following statement, “There is no tourism without the environment” therefore, we are moving forward with all deliberate speed to ensure that the environment is protected. With that in mind the British Virgin Islands is moving ahead to enact legislation to protect our ocean. There is evidence that the ocean have suffered at the hands of mankind for decades and in the British Virgin Islands, and indeed across this region, it’s no different.
We have done so much damage that our near shore waters are turning brown and green from micro organisms that feed on the waste water while our coral reefs and sea grass beds are dying. The water quality is also falling and there is loss of marine life caused by waste water pollution. Waste water is high in phosphorus and nitrogen which results in a depletion of oxygen in the water as the organism die and decompose. This creates the infamous ocean dead zones, where the water is so low in oxygen that it makes it difficult for marine life to survive, including fish.
Businesses have a special role to play; businesses are the ones making the day to day decisions that really matter! The private sector has a special gift of innovation and creation and in the British Virgin Islands we have extended a challenge to the business community to spur this critical “green” transition. In the British Virgin Islands, June is celebrated annually as Environment Month, coordinated by the Conservation and Fisheries Department. This year the theme was “The Green Economy: Does it include you?”
And all businesses were challenged to take meaningful action to create this “Green Economy” by making their own “Greening Pledge”.
“Greening Pledges” include any action(s) that each business decides to implement in 2012 to help protect the environment. Pledges included actions to cut down on waste production, energy or water use; actions to properly dispose of wastes; actions to help educate consumers about better environmental practices, and actions to support environmental work.
The incentives to businesses are:
Their bottom line, as they save water, energy, and produce less waste, they save money.
Their brand reputation, especially for those in the hospitality sector of the tourism industry.
By taking the pledge their business were awarded with the Department of Conservation and Fisheries’ official “Greening Seal” and publicly recognised as a “Green” leader.
The “Green” Pledge Initiative, received a total of 55 pledges from organisations pledging to protect and preserve the environment. While the pathway to a truly green, sustainable future, is a long one, where we fully integrate the environment in all of our decisions, from those made at the highest levels in government, to the board rooms of businesses and the dining tables of homes across this region, it is also one full of opportunity and excitement.
And so as I conclude, it is timely to remind us that the complex nature of the problems facing our region cannot be handled by Government alone. History has shown that it is individuals and entities outside of Government that often create the innovations and solutions to our most pressing challenges.
Each and every citizen and resident must make a commitment that they too will do their part. Even though we will not be able to totally eliminate these problems, we can in concert mitigate against their overall impact on our societies, and in so doing ensure a better and brighter future for generations to come.
Small island states are highly dependent on their natural environments, it is as the Psalmist said, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” The concept of the ‘Green Economy’, where economic development is achieved without having a negative impact on the environment, is developing rapidly within the Caribbean region.
The long term economic future of the region, in the face of climate change, demographic shifts and evolving patterns of energy demand, require a strategic approach to national planning. This approach must recognise the value of the environment as a vital asset whilst developing strategies for economic growth.
In the “Greater Virgin Islands” it is important to note “There is no Tourism without the Environment.”
God Bless you and God continue to bless these Virgin Islands.
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