In the last decade environmental considerations have become of increasing importance to developers and contractors alike, with the current local construction boom showing that despite the limited space Gibraltar has, the natural habitat can co-exist with our artificial growth. Build Gibraltar wanted to know how the more transparent Development and Planning Commission (DPC) had advocated principles of environmental protection so we approached Minister for the Environment and Climate Change John Cortes.

“We’ve been very successful over the last few years to have significant construction without serious negative impact on the natural environment,” said Cortes in an exclusive interview. “This is a great achievement in the small confines of Gibraltar and shows how possible it is to combine development with good environmental governance if there is a will to do so and the people driving the decision-making process have that as an underlying requirement. Cortes was involved in the DPC first as an observer since 1990 and as a member representing the Gibraltar Ornithological and National History Society before becoming a minister in 2011 and becoming an important element of the committee. A highly popular figure among voters as shown at recent elections, he is both an idealist and a pragmatist at the same time steering development to a place which bodes well for our long-term future as few of his predecessors have before him.

“Developers should realise that a lot of Gibraltar is a protected area, not just within our laws but within the EU context,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “So there are parts of Gibraltar where development will not be given the go ahead, in particular on the cliffs or areas of the Upper Rock because of the natural habitat it supports and the duty we have to protect it for those who enjoy them now and in the future. Having said that, there are lots of areas that can be redeveloped including those reclaimed in the past although nowadays we have certain EU directives on energy efficiency which have to be observed so as to reach a near zero carbon impact. We are increasingly finding that buildings designed in the public and private sectors are able to achieve an ‘A’ rating in energy efficiency under these European guidelines, with recent examples being the Ocean Views mental health unit and the new St Bernard’s Hospital kitchen.”

As the drive to develop more sustainably becomes a global concern, it has fuelled advanced research to develop environmentally friendly systems that allow for energy to be created with a minimum of fuss and expense, leading to new products that are well within reach of the private sector. The minister believes this desire to strive for energy efficiency is an implicit part of the developer’s goals, incorporating renewable energy and even enjoying that process. “However, I think that there are some sectors of the construction industry in Gibraltar who are still over-cautious and feel there is no need for it,” said Cortes. “But I put it to them that in the long-term it is cheaper for those who will be paying the bills and I would have thought that this would be taken account of within the price so that those who are investing in renewable technology will have some compensation for their efforts. Increasingly, technology like solar power is becoming even more financially viable to the point where it is coming well within the limits of what you could be expected to spend in a construction project. One example is the green roof, which is both environmentally friendly and a good insulator, something which has been taken on by projects like Buena Vista Homes, the Engineer Lane Car Park and the new schools at the old St Bernard’s Hospital site. Such a system provides a habitat for wildlife while actively absorbing heat rather than having a canvas that is far more passive, while also maintaining temperatures at an acceptable level in the winter months.”

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