LOCATION At Shakespeare Avenue, Nicosia

SPEAKER Peter Millett, British High Commissioner

DATE 16/09/2009

I am pleased to welcome so many people, from both sides of the Green Line.  What unites us is interest in the environment.

I’m particularly pleased to welcome students who have been working to protect the island’s turtle population. I hope your work is delivering results.

I’ve been here now for four years and I’ve travelled the length and breadth of this beautiful island. I am convinced that Cyprus’ natural beauty is one of its key assets.

Protecting the environment is important for many reasons.  It’s important for your quality of life: to ensure that there is enough water, that the air is clean and to protect people from fires.

But it’s also important for your economic welfare. Cyprus’ natural beauty is one of the key attractions for tourists.   Cypriots must take care not to squander this advantage through unplanned, mass development.

In an economic downturn, tourists become more picky. They will not want to visit places where the environment has been spoilt. They will vote with their wallets.

How do you conserve your natural resources? Well, as I’ve said before, there are three crucial factors:  Legislation, Awareness and Planning.

Legislation: you need a strong legal framework and demanding standards. Regulation must be effective. It must bite. There is no point having environmental legislation unless it is enforced against those who break the law.

Awareness: Every member of society needs to understand that they have a responsibility to themselves and to their fellow citizens. They need to conserve water and energy. They need to protest if they see a builder dumping broken bricks down a ravine.

Planning: This means staying ahead of the game, anticipating new pressures, say, from tourist developments and bringing in new technology, new measures and taking action before damage becomes irreversible.

A good example of this approach is the Karpas – one of my favourite parts of the island - a real unspoilt treasure.  But I wonder: Is there a plan to protect the area from uncontrolled development? Is legislation being used to regulate activities there?  The potential damage to the area and the prosperity of the island is enormous.

The European Union has a vital role to play.  In the north of Cyprus, I’m pleased that steps are already being taken to harmonise policies with the EU. After a settlement, EU laws on environmental protection will kick in. So the more work that can be done now, the better.

The EU’s programme of financial assistance is now making a visible difference: 40% of the total programme, more than 100 million euros is committed to improving the environment.  For example replacing old asbestos water pipes. These projects can make a real difference to the lives of ordinary Turkish Cypriots.

Protection of the environment clearly requires close co-operation between the two sides. Everyone on this island uses the same water and breathes the same air. To conserve these vital resources, the two communities need to work together.

For this reason I am delighted that the Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum was launched this year.  Together they can address island-wide problems.  I wish your work every success.

I’m also pleased that the technical committee on the environment has made real progress; for example, agreeing important measures on water conservation, waste management and pollution control. I hope that these measures will be implemented quickly.

I’d like to end with a toast… “To get rid of the Green Line and bring a Green Future to the whole island before it is too late.”

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