Shouldn’t our ‘green energy provider’ be using all electric vehicles?
THE Press report of the meeting between Ferryspeed and St Sampson’s douzaine (Tuesday 1 December) rightly concerned itself with road safety issues and the congestion caused by heavy goods vehicles using Bulwer Avenue and the east coast route to the White Rock ro-ro ramps and container terminal. To this I would add our combined need to reduce global warming gasses, particularly CO2. As a jurisdiction we have a requirement to do this and we would all benefit from fewer diesel fumes and tyre rubber particulates.
Staying on the subject of polluting vehicles I witnessed, a short while back, a Guernsey Electricity Land Rover belching black smoke from its exhaust; poor maintenance apart, shouldn’t our ‘green energy provider’ be using all electric vehicles?
It is essential that Guernsey’s infrastructure plan fully embraces all environmental issues. Destroying the teeming life of the intertidal zone at Spur Point by dumping inert waste on it could be avoided by the lesser evil of using it to extend the St Peter Port east arm eastwards to house Ferryspeed – that is if Guernsey Water cannot be persuaded to part with the Longue Hougue quarry.
JOHN LIHOU,
Rouge Rue,
GY1 1ZE.
Editor’s footnote: a Guernsey Electricity spokesperson replied:
Guernsey Electricity firmly believes that the energy sector must take the lead in creating a greener and sustainable world. As a company, we understand our role and how we can help tackle climate change for our society.
Earlier this year, we took the first step by switching our imports to totally renewable and sustainable electricity. Guernsey now enjoys an imported supply from 100% renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectricity. This is an exciting step and shows that small jurisdictions such as Guernsey can lead the way in moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and in doing so protect the environment for future generations.
We also announced through our Climate Change Statement an aim of further de-carbonising our own energy usage on island and set out a plan for transition in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy. This includes our vehicles, where our target is for 100% of our fleet to be powered by electricity by 2030 and where there is a viable and affordable option. For some of our specialist vehicles, such as those that carry heavy loads, it may not be possible at that point in time, but this is our aim and we will be reviewing our options as the fleet is replaced. As a community we can do so much to deliver a sustainable energy future for the island and Guernsey Electricity is putting the environment at the heart of its business.