Good morning, and welcome to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute and the fourth annual Youth Climate Summit.
As the Minister of Home Affairs, I am passionate about using the resources at my disposal to protect our environment while encouraging the growth and development of green initiatives.
As Bermuda's future leaders, you must be knowledgeable and have a say in our chosen path. To that end, I wish to share with you our plans for the next twelve months.
Reduction of Single-Use Plastics
At last year's summit, I advised of the Government’s commitment to reducing single-use plastics in Bermuda.
I spoke of how the Government will introduce a Bill to reduce single-use plastics. Whilst the aim is to make a positive impact on the environment and human health, we are aware of the need to avoid any adverse economic effects by:
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Ensuring the phase-out periods are realistic;
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Clearly communicating the requirements;
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Making allowances for some single-use plastic items that do not currently have alternatives; and,
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Allowing exemptions for medical and other uses.
I am pleased to inform you that the Cabinet has now given the go-ahead for the Attorney General's Chambers to draft the legislation. This is being done as we speak. As soon as they have produced a draft of the Bill, it will be publicised so everyone can provide feedback. Then, they will finalise the legislation and pass it into law to become an Act.
Cleaner Air
In line with protecting our environment from single-use plastics, we will also work to ensure that the air we breathe is safe.
Bermuda's Clean Air Act was initially developed in 1993, using information available at that time on the known health effects of air contaminants on people, including respiratory and cardiovascular effects, such as asthma. In the thirty years since drafting these Regulations, our understanding of how air contaminants affect our health has grown significantly, and air quality standards in other jurisdictions have become more stringent. However, despite this improved understanding, you will be surprised to learn that the portion of the Bermuda's Clean Air Regulations that set limits for contaminants in the outside air have never been updated.
I am pleased to announce that this issue is being addressed. In the coming months, Bermuda's air quality standards will be aligned with the air quality objectives and target levels of the UK and EU. This alignment will result in limits that are even more enforceable than in those countries. These limits are grounded in the latest health and safety data regarding human exposure to air contaminants.
Sustainable management of our Marine Exclusive Economic Zone
Through my previous speaking engagements, including last year's Youth Climate Summit, many here today may recall me sharing information about the work to protect our oceans. Such as taking significant measures to protect our shark species from fishing because protecting them will help rebalance and restore our entire marine ecosystem.
We also recognise the importance of effectively managing our most significant resource, our marine EEZ or Economic Exclusive Zone. Bermuda is blessed with an extensive EEZ of some four hundred and sixty-four thousand (464,000) square kilometres. The Government is committed to sustainably managing this tremendous resource for current and future generations. We also recognise the global commitment to protect our oceans. With this in mind, we have committed to fully protecting 20 per cent of our EEZ.
To accomplish this, we have embarked on an exciting project called the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Plan, also known as BOPP, in partnership with the non-profit Waitt Institute and BIOS, the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences.
The BOPP continues to evolve and develop. You can visit www.bermudaoceanprosperity.org to learn more about our plans to protect our ocean while building a thriving "blue" economy.
The BOPP is comprised of two complementary components. The first is a marine spatial plan, similar to the more well-known terrestrial plan, and the second is a blue economy strategy that is a guide for growing Bermuda's ocean-related industries and attracting investment opportunities.
Much work has been done over the last several years. Numerous reiterations of draft plans have been continually modified and refined using feedback from all of the many marine-related stakeholder groups and the public. These groups included those focused on conservation, economic development, education, fishing, tourism, and utilities, to name a few.
We released a draft plan to the public in April of this year and invited public feedback. Then, I formed an independent review panel to review all the public feedback to guide us in refining the draft plan to achieve the social, economic, and environmental impacts that matter to the people of Bermuda.
In support of BOPP, we are creating the Marine Development Act, which will provide the framework for managing the Marine Spatial Plan and the Blue Economy Fund.
Better marine enforcement
To strengthen Bermuda's marine enforcement and compliance, the Government has been working with the UK through the Blue Belt Ocean Shield Programme and the US Coast Guard. Enforcement is also supported by the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard, which provides assistance to our fisheries wardens. A Marine Resources Enforcement Action Plan has been drafted as part of the BOPP and is in the process of being modified and strengthened. When fully implemented, it will continue to help coordinate these efforts.
Better protection of our water resources
Clean water is fundamental to public health and the sustainability of our natural ecosystems. Ensuring the purity of this essential resource protects our community's health and our island's economy and preserves Bermuda's natural beauty for future generations. Monitoring groundwater quality and the status of the freshwater lenses is crucial to managing the island's water resources. With this in mind, the Government updated the water legislation to increase the protection of our groundwater resources and limit pollution to the ocean. New measures put in place include extension of pollution to groundwater to also include pollution to the ground, increased enforcement and investigative powers to prevent local boats and outfalls from dumping sewage and contaminants into the sea.
Striving for energy efficiency
The Government is committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels by eighty-five per cent (85%) in the production of electricity by 2035, which is reflected in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Work continues to promote the reduction and consumption of fossil fuels. We are also promoting the use and installation of domestic and utility-sized solar generation across the island. The Government and the Regulatory Authority are also actively investigating other means of renewable energy generation, such as wind and wave.
Beginning the work of adaptation to climate change
Finally, I would like to turn to one of the Government's most critical projects. In 2021, I stated that Bermuda needed to embark on a comprehensive climate change assessment to better understand the threats we face and set priorities for action in the short, medium, and long term. I am glad to say that, with the assistance of the UK Government, the study has been completed, and the Government has started reviewing it.
We are in the process of forming a Climate Task Force to help us guide Bermuda's adaptation process, which must begin soon to prepare for the climate changes we expect to see in the coming years—some of which have already begun.
Conclusion
The successful implementation of these initiatives will create economic opportunities, improve living standards, and, most importantly, protect and preserve our environment for future generations. As the saying goes, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
Thank you.