Select committee inquiry
Sustainability in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories inquiry
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“This inquiry examined whether the strategy set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office White Paper, The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability, embodies the principles of sustainable development; appropriately trades-off environmental protection, social development and economic growth; and fulfils the UK Government’s responsibility to protect biodiversity in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories. Full terms of reference: Environmental Audit Committee launches inquiry into Sustainability in the Overseas Territories”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What it found
In the committee's words, from the summary of 10th Report - Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories - Volume I (Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence) ↗
The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability was the first White Paper to address the UK’s relationship with the Overseas Territories since 1999. That 13-year gap between White Papers is indicative of policy drift by successive Governments.
During our inquiry, the UK Government expressed general but unspecified aspirations to ‘cherish’ the environment in the Overseas Territories, but it was unwilling to acknowledge or to address its responsibilities under United Nations treaties. This was disappointing, because the environment in the Overseas Territories is globally significant and comprises 90% of the biodiversity for which the UK Government has responsibility.
We found that the Government has failed to negotiate the extension of the Convention on Biological Diversity—the flagship United Nations policy on biodiversity protection—to the Overseas Territories. In addition, the Government has not ensured the accurate monitoring of biodiversity in the Overseas Territories. Taken together, the Government is unclear on what it is responsible for and why it is responsible for it. In environmental terms, the 2012 Overseas Territories White Paper was a missed opportunity.
What the government said
10th Report - Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories - Volume II (Volume II: additional written evidence)
No government response is linked to this report.
10th Report - Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories - Volume I (Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence)
The government responded on 24 March 2014.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response.
The government states that it would be "inappropriate" for it to take greater ownership of environmental issues in the Overseas Territories, while committing to assist the Territories through funding, technical advice and partnership.
- On extending the Convention on Biological Diversity, it encourages Territories to join but has "no intention of imposing" obligations they are "ill-equipped to fulfil"; it will work with any inhabited Territory that expresses an interest to "put a timetable in place".
- On the Joint Ministerial Council, it "rejects the assertion" that insufficient priority is given to Territory involvement in setting the agenda.
- On the Aarhus Convention, the FCO does not accept that other States' practice created a general obligation to declare non-extension, and says it "would not be helpful to change UK practice"; extension is for Territory Governments to decide.
- It commits to publish an overview of current activities supporting the Territories, to be updated annually, with annual stakeholder meetings.
Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 26 September 2012 to 24 March 2014.
- Report 2 reports
- Government response 24 Mar 2014
What it recommended 1 recommendation · 17 conclusions
1StrategicApproachtotheEnvironment At the JMC both UK and Territory Governments agreed to adopt a more strategic...
Concluded (the committee's words)
StrategicApproachtotheEnvironment At the JMC both UK and Territory Governments agreed to adopt a more strategic approach to the management, protection and conservation of the natural environment. To facilitate this, the UK Government has been working with a number of Territories, including Anguilla, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, to support Territory Governments mainstream environmental policy into the decision-making processes. We are working to extend this initiative to other Territories and develop a shared agenda for sustainable environmentalmanagement.
2FinancialAssistance We announced in April 2013 the funding of 18 new projects in the Territories...
Concluded (the committee's words)
FinancialAssistance We announced in April 2013 the funding of 18 new projects in the Territories totalling £2.6 million. This included 14 projects under the new Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund (known as Darwin Plus)whichisco-fundedbytheForeignandCommonwealthOffice,DepartmentforInternationalDevelopment (DfiD) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). These projects and other Defra fundingwillsupportmanyoftheactionsidentifiedintheJMCcommuniqué. DarwinPlusisonlyonesourceoffundingforactivitiesintheOverseasTerritories.Defrahas,forexample, alsoinitiatedaseriesofresearchprojectstoaddressthreatstobiodiversityintheSouthAtlanticandCaribbean Overseas Territories. These projects were designed to bring UK and Territory expertise together to address issuesspecificallyidentifiedbytheTerritoryGovernments.
3IdentifyingandSharingBestPractice Many of the activities funded by the UK Government seek to identify and share...
Concluded (the committee's words)
IdentifyingandSharingBestPractice Many of the activities funded by the UK Government seek to identify and share best practice amongst the Overseas Territories. We are conscious that to do this it is necessary to bring representatives of the Overseas Territories together. This is all the more important when addressing issues that impact on more than one Territory,such asthe reviewofthe UKOTBiodiversity Strategyheld atKewGardens earlierthis year,where participation of Territory representatives was facilitated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), thepublicbodythatadvisestheUKGovernmentoninternationalnatureconservation. JNCCalsoundertakesactivitiesintheTerritoriesthemselves,suchastheorganisationofworkshopsforthe Caribbean Territories, to address the cross-territory threats to biodiversity from the invasive lionfish and to exchange expertise in this area. Work to address threats from lionfish has received funding from JNCC, FCO andthroughtheDarwinPlusfundingmechanism. Ev142 EnvironmentalAuditCommittee:Evidence Exchange of best practice is also achieved through secondments and placements. At present, a JNCC staff member(aStHelenanational)isonatwoyearsecondmenttoStHelenaasdirectorofthenewEnvironmental ManagementDepartment,withfundingforthesecondmentprovidedbyDFID.Inherabsence,amarineexpert from Bermuda has been seconded to JNCC for nine months. Defra also funds a JNCC officer in the Falkland Islands,whoworkswiththeFalklandIslandsGovernmentonissuesrelatedtotheconservationofendangered albatrossesandpetrels.
4AccesstoExpertise WeareconsciousthattheOverseasTerritoriesoftenneedaccesstoexpertisewithinDefraanditsexecutive agencies.Defrahasestablishedajointmailbox(UKOTenquiriesadefra.qsi.qov.uk)asafirstpointofcontactfor allenvironmentrelatedenquiresfromtheOverseasTerritories.Themailboxismonitoredonadailybasis,and queriesaredirectedtotheofficialswhoarebestplacedtoassist.
Concluded (the committee's words)
AccesstoExpertise WeareconsciousthattheOverseasTerritoriesoftenneedaccesstoexpertisewithinDefraanditsexecutive agencies.Defrahasestablishedajointmailbox(UKOTenquiriesadefra.qsi.qov.uk)asafirstpointofcontactfor allenvironmentrelatedenquiresfromtheOverseasTerritories.Themailboxismonitoredonadailybasis,and queriesaredirectedtotheofficialswhoarebestplacedtoassist. DefraalsofundstheOverseasTerritoriesPestidentificationservice,operatedbytheFoodandEnvironment ResearchAgency(Fera).ThisservicewassetuptoidentifyinvasiveinvertebrateplantpestsintheTerritories in order to improve bio-security. At least 77 of the invertebrate species examined to date have never before beenreportedfromtheTerritoriesAtotalofsixteenspeciesnewtosciencehavebeenobservedandarebeing studiedfurther. There is a clear demand for an identification service for invasive invertebrate plant pests to improve bio- security in the Territories (132 samples were received during 2012/13) and the service has produced a wealth ofnewandusefuldataIn2012alone,atleast15economicallyimportant,invasive,plantpests,wererecorded fromthreeoftheTerritories. TheFC0’sJubileeProgrammesupportspublicservicesintheOverseasTerritoriesandincludestheexchange of expertise between public servants in the Territories and the UK through a programme of secondments providing Territory officials with opportunities to train and work with colleagues in the UK, and UK experts toworkintheTerritories. As well asproviding support from the UKGovernment, we are alsoencouraging Territory Governments to share expertise amongst themselves. Recent examples include Gibraltar’s offer to host a meeting for the Territories Geographic Information Systems and a cross-Caribbean effort to coordinate a response to combat theinvasivelionfish.
5SustainableFisheries The UK Government is working with a number, of Territories including St Helena, Tristan...
Concluded (the committee's words)
SustainableFisheries The UK Government is working with a number, of Territories including St Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension, Pitcairn and the Turks and Caicos Islands to establish baseline information on fisheries resources andtoscopeopportunitiesfordevelopingsustainablefishingindustries.JNCCiscurrentlydevelopingamarine strategyfortheOverseasTerritoriesandisorganisingaseriesoftechnicalworkshops,bringingtogethermarine experts from Defra and the Territories, to, address priorities in marine conservation and marine biodiversity. Theseworkshopsareanticipatedtostartlaterthisyear. WehaveagoodworkingrelationshipwithUK-basedNGOssuchastheRoyalSocietyfortheProtectionof Birds(RSPB),butwealsowanttoengagewithanumberofTerritory-basedNGOsthoughtheEnvironmental Mainstreaminginitiative.
6RenewableEnergy ManyoftheOverseasTerritorieshavethepotentialtoexploitrenewableenergyandreducetheirdependency onfossilfuels.TheDepartmentofEnergyandClimateChange(DECC)isreadytoprovideadviceandtechnical expertiseinmattersrelatingtoenergyandclimatechangeandhasestablishedasinglepointofcontactforany enquiries.TheFalklandIslandsarealreadymakingsignificantprogressonreducingtheirdependencyonfossil fuelswiththecapital,Stanley,nowderiving40%ofitsenergyneedsfromawindfarm.
Concluded (the committee's words)
RenewableEnergy ManyoftheOverseasTerritorieshavethepotentialtoexploitrenewableenergyandreducetheirdependency onfossilfuels.TheDepartmentofEnergyandClimateChange(DECC)isreadytoprovideadviceandtechnical expertiseinmattersrelatingtoenergyandclimatechangeandhasestablishedasinglepointofcontactforany enquiries.TheFalklandIslandsarealreadymakingsignificantprogressonreducingtheirdependencyonfossil fuelswiththecapital,Stanley,nowderiving40%ofitsenergyneedsfromawindfarm.
7InternationalCommitments UK Officials continue to support the Territories in implementing a range of multilateral environmental...
Concluded (the committee's words)
InternationalCommitments UK Officials continue to support the Territories in implementing a range of multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the ConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD). DefralawyershavedrawnupguidanceforTerritoriesconsideringextensionoftheConventiononBiological Diversity, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and several of the daughter agreements to the Convention on Migratory Species, such as the Memorandum of Understanding on Migratory Birds of Prey (Raptors MoU) and the African- Eurasian Waterbirds Agreement (AEWA). We are also working actively with Territories to which CITES has beenextendedtoensurethattheirlegislationmeetsthefourbasicrequirementsoftheConvention. EnvironmentalAuditCommittee:Evidence Ev143
8RepresentingTerritoryInterestsInternationally WeworkhardtoensurethatOverseasTerritoriesareinvolvedinactivitiesunderMultilateralEnvironmental Agreements that are of interest to them and both Defra and DECC ensure...
Concluded (the committee's words)
RepresentingTerritoryInterestsInternationally WeworkhardtoensurethatOverseasTerritoriesareinvolvedinactivitiesunderMultilateralEnvironmental Agreements that are of interest to them and both Defra and DECC ensure that the Territories are consulted priortoandfollowingmajorinternationalmeetings. Inadditiontothisconsultationprocess,DefraincludedamarineexpertfromoneoftheOverseasTerritories in the UK delegation to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012. Territory interests were also represented at the 16th Conference of the PartiestotheCITES,heldinBangkok,Thailand,inMarch2013,forexampleinrespectofworkregardingthe queenconch,whichisofsignificanteconomicinteresttosomeoftheTerritories. 26July2013 SupplementarywrittenevidencesubmittedbytheRoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds(RSPB) The RSPB is extremely grateful to the Environmental Audit Committee for bringing some much-needed attention to this oft-overlooked area of environmental policy. We are submitting this supplementary evidence inresponsetotheoralevidencesessionconductedwiththeUKGovernmenton9July2013. UKResponsibilityforCompliance
9With regard to the discussion on Governors’ capacity and expertise on environmental issues, the RSPB...
Concluded (the committee's words)
With regard to the discussion on Governors’ capacity and expertise on environmental issues, the RSPB notes that whilst some Governors have received briefings from expert environmental organisations prior to commencing their roles, this has to date been conducted in a highly ad hoc and inconsistent manner. A systematic approach to environmental training, involving NGOs as well as NDPBs such as RBG Kew, is required. JNCC
10TheofficialroleoftheJointNatureConservationCommittee(JNCC)istoprovideevidence,information and advice to the UK Government on nature conservation.
Concluded (the committee's words)
TheofficialroleoftheJointNatureConservationCommittee(JNCC)istoprovideevidence,information and advice to the UK Government on nature conservation. The JNCC has had full-time OTs capacity for 5 years,andtheRSPBrecognisesthatthisteamhasfacilitatedvaluableenvironmentalmainstreamingprocesses and other conservation projects in several Territories, established excellent working relations with OT Governments, and provided them with useful support. We are therefore concerned to hear that core funding forthisworkhaverecentlybeensubstantiallyreduced,asthiscanonlyhaveanegativeimpactonthetypeand levelofsupportthatcanbeprovided.
11However, the RSPB believes that the JNCC has not, to date, effectively fulfilled its role...
Concluded (the committee's words)
However, the RSPB believes that the JNCC has not, to date, effectively fulfilled its role as a technical adviser to the UK Government with regard to OT biodiversity conservation. The JNCC’s current working methodology in relation to OTs is to be responsive solely to the various and changing priorities of OT Governments. Effective partnership-working with OT Governments is vital, but the JNCC seems to have overlooked its responsibility to provide the UK Government with sufficient evidence to enable it to discharge itsinternationalresponsibilities.Indeed,afterfiveyearsofbiodiversitywork,theJNCCstilldoesnotknowthe numberofspeciesuniquetoeachoftheTerritories,northetotalwhichareatimminentriskofextinction.
12Furthermore, a recent parliamentary question reveals that the JNCC does not even know the number...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Furthermore, a recent parliamentary question reveals that the JNCC does not even know the number of terrestrial or marine protected areas in the Territories, a seemingly fundamental piece of conservation knowledge.Withoutsuchbasicinformation,JNCCisunabletoprovidetheUKGovernmentwiththeevidence and advice itrequires to enable anoverarching strategy. Unfortunately, theredoes not appear tobe a strategic work programme in place to address this evidence deficit, as Defra’s Evidence Plan for Biodiversity and Ecosystems Evidence provides only one sentence of detail on the OTs: “Improve the evidence base in UK OverseasTerritoriestoassistinmeetinginternationalcommitments,inparticularthecontrolandmanagement of invasive species (ongoing—medium priority)”. Such vagaries urgently need to be translated into detailed scientificactioninamuchmoreconcertedmanner.
13Recommendation: Defra should establish an OTs-specific evidence plan and explicitly direct the JNCC to implement...
Recommended (the committee's words)
Recommendation: Defra should establish an OTs-specific evidence plan and explicitly direct the JNCC to implement a more strategic programme of OT biodiversity evidence-gathering, to include the systematic identification of the most urgently threatened species and habitats in the Territories, and a joint-assessment withOTGovernmentsastotheadequacyofcurrentterrestrialandmarineprotectedareanetworks..
14TheCommitteealsodiscussedpolicy-makingbytheJNCCduringtheevidencesession.Duetoachronic lackof capacitywithin Defra,the JNCChas endedup ina defacto policy-makingandsmall grant-disbursing role with regard to the...
Concluded (the committee's words)
TheCommitteealsodiscussedpolicy-makingbytheJNCCduringtheevidencesession.Duetoachronic lackof capacitywithin Defra,the JNCChas endedup ina defacto policy-makingandsmall grant-disbursing role with regard to the OTs. For example, stakeholders at the March 2013 review of the OTs Biodiversity Strategy agreed that the JNCC had actually written this document. JNCC also makes spending decisions through its own OT funding lines, and is the most active promoter of the incongruous position that the UK Government should not have any of its own environmental priorities with regard to the OTs (cf. JNCC presentation to CIEEM conference, January 2013). The JNCC’s exclusion of research institutions and civil EnvironmentalAuditCommittee:Evidence Ev145 society from its “OT Research & Training Steering Group” also appears in direct contradiction to HMG’s WhitePapercommitmentto“strengthenco-operationwiththenon-governmentalandscientificcommunities”. Transparency
15The Committee’s focus on this fundamental issue was very welcome.
Concluded (the committee's words)
The Committee’s focus on this fundamental issue was very welcome. It was therefore disappointing to learn that the FCO could give no examples of practical support it had offered to advance freedom of information. The RSPB would suggest a different approach for the various Territories. Firstly, transparency standards in theuninhabited Territories remain poor. Thisis an area whereimmediate UK Government action is both possible and strongly desirable, and freedom of information legislation should be passed in these Territoriesforthwith.TheRSPBrecognisesthatcapacityconstraintsareanissueforthesmallerOTs,butnotes that the smallest inhabited OT, Pitcairn, has successfully introduced freedom of information legislation. This sets an important precedent for those Territories with less capacity to introduce a proportionate transparency framework, and this is something which the FCO should proactively facilitate. Finally, for those Territories where DfID funds major infrastructure projects, the DfID “Aid Transparency Guarantee” should be extended soastoincludecoverageoftheenvironmentalimpactsofaidspending.
16Recommendation: Freedom of Information legislation should be passed for the uninhabited Territories assoonaspracticable,whilsttheDfID“AidTransparencyGuarantee”shouldbeextendedtoincorporatethe environmentalimpactsofthatdepartment’saidspending.
Concluded (the committee's words)
Recommendation: Freedom of Information legislation should be passed for the uninhabited Territories assoonaspracticable,whilsttheDfID“AidTransparencyGuarantee”shouldbeextendedtoincorporatethe environmentalimpactsofthatdepartment’saidspending. StHelenaAirport
17The St Helena airport is currently being built on a unique habitat: a mini-Namib desert...
Concluded (the committee's words)
The St Helena airport is currently being built on a unique habitat: a mini-Namib desert located in the middleoftheSouthAtlantic. Thebiodiversityofthissiteremainsverypoorly known,eventothedegreethat we do not know exactly which species are there, and which may have recently gone extinct. The RSPB has supported improved access to St Helena, but is gravely concerned that the environmental management of the airportprojecthas,todate,beeninadequate.OfparticularconcernhasbeentheseveredelaytotheLandscape& EcologyMitigationPlan(LEMP),whichwassupposedtobeginayearbeforeconstructiontookplacesoasto allow adequate time to secure sensitive populations and enable adequate mitigation. The DfID official questioned characterised this plan as being “mainly about the visual impacts of the airport”, which belittles the enormous role that this aspect of the project has to play in restoring the biodiversity of this remarkable site. The official stressed that whilst it was “unfortunate that those delays took place, we do have the environmental impact assessment”. Without active mitigation work however to remedy any impacts which an assessmentidentified,thevalueofanenvironmentalimpactassessmentaloneisquestionable.Finally,theDfID official expressed their full confidence in the opaque structures established to manage the Air Access project. Thekeyconcernthatthe StHelenaGovernmentfindsitselfinanimpossible situationwhereitisbothproject manager and project regulator was sadly overlooked. In particular, it is interesting to note that it is widely alleged on island that it is the St Helena Government itself, not DfID, which will be financially liable for the cost of any delays or budget overruns. The prospect that environmental management will therefore genuinely be prioritised by SHG when it is under so much pressure from DfID to deliver the project to time and to budgetislimited.
18Recommendations: DfID must establish clear and transparent mechanisms to enable independently verifiable oversight of LEMP...
Concluded (the committee's words)
Recommendations: DfID must establish clear and transparent mechanisms to enable independently verifiable oversight of LEMP implementation and the environmental management of the project, preferably through the establishment of a steering group with a clear Terms of Reference and made up of a majority of independent experts who are not employees of SHG or the companies involved in airport construction or environmentalmanagement. 9September2013 FurtherwrittenevidencesubmittedbytheForeign&CommonwealthOffice SustainabilityintheOverseasTerritoriesInquiry