UK willing to help Cayman address climate issues

| 22/04/2021 | 43 Comments
Cayman News Service
Governor Martyn Roper delivers remarks at the swearing-in ceremony

(CNS): Governor Martyn Roper has said the United Kingdom is open to helping the new government on issues relating to climate change. As he gave his address congratulating the newly sworn members of Parliament on Wednesday, he noted that the environment was a key issue on the campaign trail this year for voters and candidates. Roper said the UK was willing to assist the new government on analysing the risks of climate change and other areas they will find helpful as it faces this existential priority. With the UK-Cayman relationship “in very good shape”, the governor said he looked forward to playing his part to strengthen it further.

“Where UK technical expertise can be helpful, I will continue to do my utmost to secure it,” he said, “One area of major concern is climate change and the environment, an existential priority for our entire planet, highlighted by the public and a majority of candidates during the campaign. The UK is open to assisting the new government on analysing the risks of climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity and any other areas they will find helpful.”

With Wayne Panton now at the helm of the new administration, this offer, whichy has been made by the governor more or less since his arrival, may well now be taken seriously. Following his own speech yesterday, and given his existing reputation as a genuine environmentalist, Panton has set out a platform that has protecting Cayman’s natural heritage at its heart.

Another issue highlighted by Roper in his speech yesterday that Panton has already committed to addressing is the code of conduct for MPs and Cabinet members.

“I believe one of the messages the public clearly sent in these elections is about the great importance attached to the integrity and behaviour of elected parliamentarians, ministers and senior officials,” Roper said. “I therefore welcome the incoming government’s announcement it will agree a code of conduct for parliamentarians. I hope we can also agree code of conduct for Cabinet Ministers,” he added.

Given the allegations that have swirled around this election relating to campaign finance and other issues, Roper also encouraged the new government to reform the rules surrounding elections.

“We should carefully consider recommendations for improving the process for future elections,” Roper said, referring to the issues raised by previous election observers. “There are some areas that need addressing, including election finance, to enhance our good governance. It is my hope that the incoming government will make this a priority in the early part of its term in office.”

Roper committed to respecting the autonomy of the Cayman Islands for domestic affairs and to “exercise my responsibilities, including for good governance, in the spirit of partnership, mutual trust and collaboration that have marked my first two and a half years as governor”. He urged everyone to put aside the “hard fought election campaign”, which he said was “tense and challenging”, and come together to support the new government and the official opposition.

“While fully respecting everyone’s right to express their opinions, I continue to urge everyone to treat everyone else in our community with courtesy, dignity, respect and fairness at all times,” he said.

Watch the governor deliver his remarks on CIGTV below:


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Category: Politics

Comments (43)

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  1. Terry tobs says:

    Reduce the waste
    Reuse the waste
    Recycle the waste
    Recover.
    Implement proper recycling collections.

  2. Sammy is Alive and well says:

    Yes 945am but i shutter to think how forgiving some would be if the political pendulum had swung in their favor, know the level of their arrogance and contempt for “lesser people” than themselves.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Reduce the amount of vehicles issued to persons (usually gas guzzling trucks) to treat as their personal vehicle with free gas!

    Make work from home a permanent feature, not when it just suits employers.

    Put proper bicycle lanes in place.

    • Anonymous says:

      Reducing cars isn’t the problem. It’s more about creating an alternative to driving that needs to be the focus.

      • Anonymous says:

        But…also reducing cars….because when they are toast people leave them on the side of the road

        • Anonymous says:

          Completely agree that people leave them. But the issue isn’t limiting one persons car. Because anyone can only drive one at a time. The problem is their aren’t any reasonable choices to not own or drive that car.

    • Anonymous says:

      Far too many people driving govt vehicles as their own personal vehicles, usually trucks when a much smaller vehicle is perfectly adequate. Govt needs to look at who got what and who gets free gas. Trim it down and replace with electric.

      • Anonymous says:

        I agree. There are some police officers who live in my complex and use the police vehicles for their own use all day. Sometimes they park the police car in the complex for half the day. It is a goddamned disgrace. I am so sick and tired of the waste and abuse in government.

        According to the RCIPS vehicle use policy obtained through a FOI request, if a police officer uses a police vehicle for personal use, it may result in disciplinary measures or criminal charges.

        If you see any police cars (or other government vehicles) being driven for personal use, report them to the appropriate department.

        People in Cayman need to hold the government accountable instead of just complaining about it.

    • Anonymous says:

      My helper wants to work from home.

    • Anonymous says:

      Biggest problem we have is over population. Our environment cannot sustain this kind of population explosion. Every car has a driver.

  4. Cornbread Andy says:

    This man needs to go home !Come now talking pure foolishness after his ridiculous Muppet Alden gets dethroned all of sudden he wants to now fix this environmental destruction situation. Yet when it was brought to his attention about this cozy relationship that exists between his political buddies and their developers pariahs his exact words and I quote “their good People” Well the good people have wrecked havoc on our precious islands for 8 years Mr Governor.Where were your Dear Sir?

    • Anonymous says:

      you need to stop sowing hate…
      It’s never too late to do the right thing!

      • The Greatest enabler says:

        It’s so funny how some are so willing to look the other way at the pale face enablers but will demonstrate extreme prejudice against their very own those with darker skin the last Governor was recalled for wrowing with his mother-in-law.

    • Anonymous says:

      Wreaked

  5. Anonymous says:

    The UK actually needs to help Cayman fight off the relentless bullying of the EU which has been trying to sink us for years. As a bolt on to the City of London financial industry, Cayman is actually of significant strategic and economic importance to the UK and it is certainly to the UK’s advantage to have OT’s with viable economies that do not require financial aid.

    What the EU wants is nothing less than a return to the old colonial days where, having been denuded of local resources, possessed territories are kept impoverished and barely afloat based on handouts from their begrudging masters. EU (and, for that matter, US) regulatory and fiscal global warfare poses a dangerous and imminent threat to Cayman and certainly more so in the near term than rising oceans and climate change driven entirely by and for the convenience of the industrialised economies.

    • Anonymous says:

      The UK needs to stand behind the OT’s financial interests more robustly & get the EU to bugger right off. Cutting the puppet strings that connect C.I.M.A would be a good start.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Let us also apply it this to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman – first step being to get all of the PPM lackeys off of the Development Control Board.

    Second step to get a Minister in Planning who is interested in implementing a long-term plan for Cayman and not just build, build, build now.

    Third step, get all the cronies who have a conflict of interest off of the Central Planning Authority.

    Anything that is currently being done with Planning needs to be looked at if the Governor, UK and our Government are serious about addressing the environment and the associated issues of climate change.

  7. anonymous says:

    See how much you like those mangroves when you can’t afford a home because they are in the way. you will save them but your children will change the law to take them out and make way for their children. All but the shoreline red mangroves are a nuisance that choke the land and help no-one.

    • Anonymous says:

      We can view it another way. We barley got kissed by a hurricane last year (cat 1 at the time if I’m not mistaken) and we saw how badly affected Cayman got by it. Why was that? Because of all the mangroves being dug the f^&k up by developers.

      Lets see how you like excessive flooding, wind damage etc by norwesters, storms and hurricanes because there’s no more “nuisance” of both shore and in land mangroves. Clown.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hey dumb dumb. Our children have more sense than your old butts. They understand why roots in soil help protect us. Why eating turtles is abhorrent. Why destroying habitats will only worsen pandemics. Etc etc.

  8. Anonymous says:

    willing to address climate issues and BULLYING of their puppets…lets address that stuff

  9. Anonymous says:

    Great news!
    I’ll start the list:

    Proper landfill including runoff and filters for incinerator;
    monitoring the pollution of our local waters and air including releasing the information to the public;
    carb emissions testing for all vehicles;
    proper disposal of hospital waste;
    further subsidies for electric cars/solar power and more importantly for shipping older cars off the island;
    restricting all imported vehicles and motor vehicles to a monthly limit;

    Feel free to add more! Thank you Governor!

  10. Anonymous says:

    Hopefully homophobia is not going to be tolerated in the Parliament from now on.

    • Anon says:

      Physical abuse of women still seems no issue.

    • Anonymous says:

      Wayne is sensible and sensitive about LGBTQ matters, Ship Jumping JuJu is not. One of the agonies we will probably have to endure is yet another of her endless speaking in tongues type prayers ( with McBeater going amen amen) if the Privy Council rules in any way sympathetically in the Day/Bodden case.

      • Anonymous says:

        Hopefully not. That should not have been allowed then, let’s see. Same sex marriage is coming sooner or later. Code of conduct will be there for a reason.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Apply the code of conduct retrospectively and see how many MPs are left standing.

    • Anonymous says:

      Lets start by saving Barkers beach!!! Island wide planting of mangroves as well🕺

      • Anonymous says:

        Dream on 6:29. Developers will never allow island wide planting of mangroves. But South Sound is going to get hammered with next big hurricane.

        • Anonymous says:

          They grow readily on their own, but you have about fifty other endangered trees you could plant. A lot of scrub land used to be trees.

        • Anonymous says:

          It always has.

        • Anonymous says:

          The entire island of gc is a sitting duck..17 yrs since Ivan and everyone caught up in massive prices for rum point and south sound and canal front and smb ground floor….one good storm and it’s a total sh*t show…very few of recent buyers have a clue

        • Anonymous says:

          Tic Toc…

      • Anonymous says:

        Can someone, anyone, explain to me how mangroves prevent hurricane damage? Do they stop the winds? The tornados? How much water do they stop? Can we go back in history to get the answer? I’m all for the environment, but would appreciate some facts.

        • Anonymous says:

          You can’t be serious. Why don’t you just Google and research. In brief, mangroves help to reduce water damage during hurricanes. Not to mention a lot more. Please just look into it. That is basic school program.

          • Anonymous says:

            Not really. They can reduce wave height if they are upwind of you and the water isn’t higher than they are. That’s about it., no help for rising water. They flood just like your front yard. Look at the Ivan pictures.

          • Anonymous says:

            So a 30 foot waves comes through Grand Cayman, the mangroves will help? Don’t need a basic school program. I’ve lived through several hurricanes in the Caribbean, I’d much rather be on the 5th floor of a ten story building.

        • Anonymous says:

          OMG. The amount of people who post asking for someone else to explain to them a 3rd grade science experiment. You posted from a research tool.

        • Anonymous says:

          God damn cayman public school education. Noah’s ark is not real!

          • Anonymous says:

            Tell them. Instead of educating themselves about why mangroves are important, really a school project for a twelve year old, they would rather go arguing which floor they would prefer to be on during a hurricane. Very typical.

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