The hypocrisy of the GSD on the matters of renewable energy and the environment and Trevor Hammond’s own lack of understanding of the subject are stunning.  Mr Hammond does not recall,  conveniently forgets, or fails to understand, both Government Press statements and replies in Parliament.

Mr Hammond is incorrect in suggesting that one renewable energy project has been unfairly favoured.  It has been made clear in the past that a number of entities made proposals for renewable energy projects shortly after the GSLP/Liberals were elected.  All were entertained and encouraged equally by Government, but only two were progressed by the proponents.  One was the solar project at New Harbours and the other was the Ecowave project.  Both have progressed at no cost to Government.

Eventually, the Ecowave project was expected to produce more power but it was always a prototype, with new technology being tested.  As with all prototypes, they are learning processes and the company has been amending and improving the product, which continues to be in operation.  It is disappointing that more energy is still not being produced, but the work in developing the technology is at no cost to the taxpayer and the encouragement of developing new technologies is something with which Gibraltar wishes to be associated.

Full details of the solar project will be released soon but preliminary results are encouraging.  With other solar projects, including those at the new sports facilities, coming on-stream soon, Government continues confident that the 20% target can be reached in 2020.

Government has previously published figures showing year on year reductions in carbon emissions from power generation.  They have dropped by 39,000 tonnes since 2013, a drop of 21%.  This must hurt Trevor Hammond.  He should welcome it openly, but instead chooses to ignore the fact.

The GSD is also wrong on air quality.  Government aims to improve this further but the improvements are undeniable.  Already, as the new power station has gone through its current commissioning, at least 50% of Gibraltar’s power needs have been met for long periods from gas.  While this is a fossil fuel, it emits 25% less carbon and very much less of other pollutants, almost all in many instances, than the diesel to which the GSD was fully committed.  Moreover, the new power station is fitted with filters which go above and beyond what is normally required for such plants.  Air quality data, which the Government publishes regularly, shows downward trends in pollutants continuing.

On environment in general, the huge progress made since 2011 is undeniable.  Hundreds of new trees, a new park, legal protection to green areas, vastly improved animal welfare laws, an increase in the surface area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve of 37% since 2013 are just some examples.

Minister for the Environment and Climate Change John Cortes said, “When I became a Minister, after many years being a fairly lonely voice in the wilderness being ignored by the GSD Government, Gibraltar had to make a quantum leap into the present century on these matters.  Renewable energy and energy efficiency were not even in the Government vocabulary, and there was no knowledge or even support for these concepts in either the public or private sectors.  It was a struggle to make progress. The Environment Department was under-resourced and unsupported, and Gibraltar was heading towards perpetuating the use of diesel for power with a diesel power plant planned right next to the Nature Reserve.  This has taken years to overcome, but we have overcome it.  We sometimes forget that in 2011 you couldn’t even recycle paper and cardboard in Gibraltar!  The planet is facing a huge environmental challenge, and we are a part of it.  We have a lot more to do, but as far as Gibraltar goes, the future is bright for the environment.  Some find it hard to accept this and to recognise the progress we have made.  I relish the fact that we will be making a lot more.”