Cortes chairs Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies environment ministers council

The Minister for the Environment, Dr John Cortes, recently chaired the 10th meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers of the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

The virtual meeting was attended by ministers and representatives from 11 territories, including Turks and Caicos, St Helena, Cayman, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.

Participants received presentations from experts on issues including green finance, funding for environmental projects, and the management and improvement of protected areas and habitats.

“These meetings are extremely useful in exchanging experience and expertise and co-ordinating work between the territories, and between the territories and the UK Government,” Dr Cortes said.

“The UKOTs boast some of the world’s most delicate and complex ecosystems and habitats, with at least 3,300 species which occur nowhere else in the world.”

“Collectively, we harbour a truly staggering amount of biodiversity, which in turn provides many goods and services (e.g. tourism, storm-protection and carbon-capture).”

“We have a duty to protect and restore this, and we achieve more by doing this collectively.”