‘Green Pledge’ sets tone for businesses to protect the environment
- Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Parade of Pledges participants march along the Waterfront Drive on Wednesday, June 13. (Photo Credit, Ronnielle Fraser/GIS)
Friday, June 22 – Over 50 businesses and organisations from the public and private sectors have made a “Green Pledge” to protect the environment to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Virgin Islands.
Public pledges were made on June 16 during the annual Parade for the Planet dubbed this year as the Parade of Pledges, which is a part of the environment month activities.
Participants dressed in costumes depicting their pledges chanted their commitments along the route from the Road Town festival grounds to the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park where the parade culminated with a ceremony.
In his remarks, Acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer, Mr. Kelvin Penn said the ‘Green Pledge’ initiative was born out of a desire to make Environment Month more action oriented. People were encouraged to find ways of protecting the environment through reducing energy and water use, waste production and the support of environmental initiatives to promote environmental awareness, for example.
“Our mission is to protect our precious natural resources for generations to come,” He said. “With the Virgin Islands facing a myriad of environmental and sustainability challenges, we must set the tone for change but it will take the collective efforts and actions of us as individuals, community groups, businesses, public and private sectors to make the change that are necessary to lead us into a great future”.
Green Pledges from ministries, departments and the private sector included promises to reduce paper, plastic and other wastes, to reduce energy and water use, to support environmental groups and activities and to promote environmental awareness.
Parade of Pledges participants gather at the Noel Lloyd Positive Movement Park on Wednesday, June 13. (Photo Credit, Ronnielle Fraser/GIS)
The full list of organisations and their pledges are available at the Conservation and Fisheries Department website at www.bvidef.org.
Participants were awarded with a ‘Green Pledge’ certificate signaling not only recognition for making a promise, but to ensure public accountability.
Very shortly, in a press conference to conclude Environment Month, the participants will be awarded the official ‘Green Pledge’ seal.
Activities for the observance of Environment Month will continue on Saturday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m. with a sunset service at Callwood’s Rum Distillery, Cane Garden Bay and Fisherman’s Day on Monday, July 2 at Long Bay Beach, Beef Island from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Environment Month has been celebrated annually in the Territory since 1993 and aims to bring awareness to the public about the importance of preserving the environment.
List of Businesses and Organisations that took the Green Pledge
1. A Dream Come True Villa
2. Agapé Cottages
3. Alternative Energy Systems (AES)
4. Attorney General’s Chambers
5. BVI Electricity Corporation
6. BVI Fire and Rescue Department
7. BVI Fishing Complex
8. BVI Girl Guide Association
9. BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
10.BVI Tourist Board
11.Caribbean Insurers Limited
12.CCP Group
13.Charter Yacht Society
14.CIBC First Caribbean International Bank
15.Civil Registry & Passport Office
16.Clearwater BVI
17.Conservation and Fisheries Department
18.Cooper Island Beach Club
19.Dancia Penn & Co.
20.Deloitte & Touche
21.Department of Disaster Management
22.Deputy Governor’s Office
23.DHL
24.Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre
25.First Bank
26.Fort Burt Hotel
27.Department of Information and Public Relations (GIS)
28.Governor’s Office
29.H. Lavity Stoutt Community College
30.Harneys
31.Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society
32.Kraus Manning
33.Law Reform Commission
34.Library Services Department
35.Magistrate’s Office
36.Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour
37.Mossack Fonseca
38.Nature’s Way
39.Office of Chief of Drugs and Pharmaceutical
40.Services, Ministry of Health and Social Development
41.Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
42.Office of the Supervisor of Elections
43.Ogier
44.Orangefield Trust (BVI) Limited
45.Penn Medical Centre
46.Road Town Wholesale Trading Ltd
47.Sail Caribbean Divers
48.Sandy Lane Centre
49.Sebastian’s on the Beach Hotel
50.Social Development Department
51.SOL
52.Supreme Court
53.Tico
54.Virgin Queen Restaurant & Pub
55.ZCCR 94.1 FM
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Did any of the Government offices pledge to turn their Air Conditioning off or at least up one or two degrees. Savings to the Nation would be enormous and would mean that office workers would not have to spend so much money on warmer clothing to endure the frosty work environment.
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