Minister Cortes Discusses Treaty At Green Party Conference

Minister for the Environment and Climate Change John Cortes has met senior Green Party figures at the party’s conference in Brighton.

Discussions focused on the UK-EU Treaty in respect of Gibraltar, including its environmental and climate commitments.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, the Hon Prof. John Cortes MBE MP, has held positive conversations with senior Green Party figures at the party’s conference in Brighton. 

Minister Cortes met Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, the former leader of the Green Party, who sits in the House of Lords, and Jean Lambert, who represented London in the European Parliament from 1999 to 2019. They discussed the UK-EU Treaty in respect of Gibraltar, its environmental commitments, the climate emergency and more. 

Minister Cortes came to Brighton from Brussels, having met Members of the European Parliament and other interlocutors to discuss the Treaty’s environmental provisions and Gibraltar’s work to implement them. 

The Treaty describes climate change as an existential threat to humanity. It makes the fight against climate change, including respect for the Paris Agreement, an essential element of the cooperation it establishes, alongside democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Gibraltar has also agreed to uphold environmental and climate protections equivalent to those in the EU. 

The meetings formed part of Gibraltar House’s engagement with all the main UK political parties during this year’s conference season. 

Minister Cortes said: “I came to politics from conservation, so I always feel at home among environmentalists. We talked about the Treaty but also about nature, rewilding and the climate emergency, and about how much a small place like Gibraltar can do. These were positive and friendly conversations. 

“Around 40% of Gibraltar is nature reserve. In our waters we have been bringing back seagrass, oysters and fan mussels. The Treaty builds on that work. It puts the fight against climate change at the core of our relationship with the EU, and that matters to me as much as it matters to the people I met in Brighton. 

“Nature does not stop at borders. The birds that cross the Strait, the dolphins in the Bay and the climate we all share are reasons to work closely with our neighbours. This Treaty helps us do exactly that.”