Minister Joins Virtual FT Global Boardroom Event
Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban joined a virtual panel discussion as part of the Fourth Annual Financial Times Global Boardroom event held from 7 to 9 December.
A Government spokesperson said, “The Global Boardroom event is held to debate the path to recovery, explore the long-term economic, social and geopolitical consequences of the pandemic and the strategies governments, businesses and investors must undertake to assure sustainable, resilient growth.
“Titled “The Plastic Waste Crisis: What is required to bring about permanent change?” the panel was moderated by Clive Cookson, Science Editor, with the Financial Times, and discussed what governments and businesses are doing to tackle the increasingly urgent problem of plastic waste.
“In addition to Minister Roban, also participating on the panel were:
- Cressida Bowyer, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Lead of revolution Plastics, University of Portsmouth
- Sebastian James, Managing Director, Boots
- Niall Dunne, CEO, Polymateria
- Ramesh Ramachandran, CEO, No Plastic Waste, Minderoo Foundation.”
Screenshot from the FT website:
Reflecting on the event, Minister Roban said, “I relish every opportunity to represent Bermuda and share what we are doing as a country to address climate change and the many environmental issues we face.”
“At this event, I spoke about our commitment to the ban on Single-Use Plastics following wide consultation using a phased approach. Also of the need to educate and change consumers behaviours so that they not only understand but value and appreciate the need to reduce the use of single-use plastics.”
“We also know that businesses take some of their cues from what society demands. And so, if we demand in one voice that we no longer want single-use plastics in our environment, corporations and manufacturers will meet that demand by finding alternatives that are safe for the environment. A prime example is the proliferation of paper straws now used in restaurants across Bermuda.”
“Also, while I admit that most of the plastic found on Bermuda’s shores is not produced in Bermuda, we must set the example so that other nations will follow. Like a pebble thrown in the ocean, our actions to address climate change are rippling across the globe and encouraging other countries to do the same. We will continue to do our utmost to protect our environment.”
“A summary of the event is available on the Financial Times Global Boardroom website.“
