The Minister for Health, Care and Business, who also has responsibility for Town Planning, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez MP, delivered a keynote address at the ASPIRE Conference earlier today, hosted at the Sunborn Hotel. The annual event brings together key stakeholders from Gibraltar’s construction and sustainability sectors to discuss and promote innovative approaches to development.

In her address, Minister Arias-Vasquez spoke about her involvement in drafting the 2019 Climate Change Act and now, in her ministerial capacity, sitting on the very Net Zero Delivery Body created by that Act.

The Minister further outlined how sustainability and public health are intertwined, pointing to the upcoming launch of a “Covenant for Health” that will promote preventative health initiatives, including increased active mobility for all citizens.

Minister Arias-Vasquez also offered a forward-looking perspective on town planning, referencing the over 560 planning applications processed in the last year alone with a combined construction value of almost half a billion. She reiterated that good planning policy must balance environmental responsibility, economic viability and community wellbeing.

Concluding her remarks, the Minister urged collaboration across sectors and emphasised the importance of accountability and implementation beyond legislation. “Legislation is easy,” she remarked. “Getting the work done is the hard part, but it’s also where we stand to make the greatest difference.”

Minister Arias-Vasquez said: “Two years ago, I was at this conference in a very different capacity. Today, as Minister with responsibility for Town Planning, I am in a position to help deliver on the commitments we made. I am proud of the progress we are making, not least with our work on the new Development Plan, but I am also clear about the work still ahead. The buildings we design and approve today will still be standing decades from now and that is why good planning matters.”

Minister Arias-Vasquez keynote speech is available in full here.