Coalition for Climate Action (CCA) calls for independent climate body

The Coalition has called for an independent climate body to be created and tasked to ensure that Gibraltar meets its Carbon Responsibilities.

CAA consists comprises the Environmental Safety Group (ESG), The Nautilus Project (TNP), The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), The Gibraltar Heritage Trust, Pollution Watch and Sustainable Gibraltar.

It came together in response to the Climate Emergency that was supported unanimously in parliament.

The motion was described by the Minister for the Environment as a call to action for the whole community.

The CAA want an independent climate body that will report to parliament and the community, acting as a watchdog to monitor Gibraltar’s progress with regard to its commitments.

“It can only be effective with cross-party and cross-community support and engagement,” said a statement from the CAA.

The CAA state that the climate body’s core aims should be:
• Pollution - A transition away from the use and trade of fossil fuels
• Waste - Further improvements to Gibraltar’s efforts to recycle
• Energy - Harnessing all suitable renewable energy technologies
• Transport - Action on traffic and further incentives for cleaner modes of transport
• Development - Expansion of green areas and urban landscaping, protection of all existing carbon sinks, evaluation of development impacts as a carbon contributor with targets to address forecasts and uses within a holistic development plan for Gibraltar

In addition the CAA want the climate body to determine cost effective and practical recommendations for implementation strategies with a view to fully decarbonising Gibraltar.

“The year for complete carbon neutrality should be determined by the body in response to strategies being implemented and rolled out,” said the CAA statement.

“In order to determine that full decarbonisation has been reached, the Climate body should work with Government agencies to establish all sources of carbon emissions and determine ongoing patterns.”

“The body should be set up in such a way to also consider pertinent information from all local stakeholders, including local NGOs. This information should form part of the annual report submitted,” the statement added.

The group is currently collecting signatures for a petition that will be handed to Government on completion of a protest march taking place on the September 20 from Casemates at 5.30pm in support of a ‘Parents for Future – Climate Change Strike’.

Public signatures collection are being collected outside St Mary’s Cathedral on Main Street today until 2pm. On September 11, outside Morrison’s Supermarket from 10am to 2pm.
Additionally the petition is online at http://chng.it/jGKpkLmn