Environmental Charter

The Environmental Charter. In August of this year a team from the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum came to Anguilla. They interviewed all the major players in environmental protection on the island. They asked questions. They did their research. They have now published their report [link here]. We shall have a look at some of their findings on our progress on implementing our Environmental Charter. My reading is that Anguilla did not fare well. In some cases we came out very badly compared to other British Overseas Territories. Over the next few days, we are going to look at some of the findings. It will be interesting to learn from the experts in Anguilla whether the consultants got it correct. Did they misunderstand anything?

We should start the exercise by reminding ourselves what this is all about. On 26 September 2001, acting on behalf of itself and the people of Anguilla, the government of Anguilla signed up with the British government to an Environmental Charter [link here] which contained certain guiding principles. We promised then:

1. To recognise that all people need a healthy environment for their well-being and livelihoods and that all can help to conserve and sustain it.
2. To use our natural resources wisely, being fair to present and future generations.
3. To identify environmental opportunities, costs and risks in all policies and strategies.
4. To seek expert advice and consult openly with interested parties on decisions affecting the environment.
5. To aim for solutions which benefit both the environment and development.
6. To contribute towards the protection and improvement of the global environment.
7. To safeguard and restore native species, habitats and landscape features, and control or eradicate invasive species.
8. To encourage activities and technologies that benefit the environment.
9. To control pollution, with the polluter paying for prevention or remedies.
10. To study and celebrate our environmental heritage as a treasure to share with our children.

The Charter contains some explanatory notes. Each of the above promises was elaborated and developed to show the types of actions that government would take to honour its commitment.

This Charter amounted to a series of promises made by our government to the people of Anguilla. It created what the lawyers call a “legitimate expectation” that government would honour the various promises. Any development project on Anguilla that is permitted by the Land Development Board to go ahead without the requisite Environmental Impact Assessment, and the requisite follow-up public discussion, might be a breach of the promises made in paragraph 4 of the Charter.

We shall look at some of these details in the next post.