What is the Cabot Links development?

Cabot Links is a 375-acre golf course, resort, and residential development project on the island of Saint Lucia, with construction beginning in July 2019. The location for the development holds significant natural, social, archaeological, and cultural importance, and has been accessible by locals for traditional use for many generations, as protected by law.

Outline of the environmental injustice

Local advocates for sustainable development have expressed significant concerns regarding the impact of the development on the biodiversity of the area, the preservation of an important archaeological site, and the continued access and rights of local users. The anticipated extensive use of pesticides directly along the shoreline in the maintenance of the resort grounds and golf course is a particular concern, as well as the impact on nesting and safety of several endangered turtle species, and the health of fish nurseries. It is estimated that one hundred acres of land has already been cleared by the developer without any environmental safeguards or monitoring in place. 

The location of the site next to an existing 18-hole golf course in a persistently water-poor area of the island has additionally raised concerns regarding how an adequate water supply will be obtained, exacerbated by regular, sustained water shortages during the dry season. 

No Environmental Impact Assessment

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project was not prepared, in contravention of the Physical Planning and Development Act, and it is reported that the Government of Saint Lucia instead encouraged the use of an EIA undertaken in 2006 for a previous failed development on the site. The use of this EIA has been condemned by both the Saint Lucia National Trust and Archaeological and Historical Society on several counts. These include the significant length of time since the assessment, and therefore its failure to take into account recent changes in environmental standards and climate resilience requirements, significant differences between the two developments, and a lack of detail regarding how the area would be protected, the archaeology managed, and the current users and surrounding communities engaged. In July 2020, 13 months after construction began, it was reported that there are plans to update the previous EIA, however concern remains regarding the effectiveness of such a belated assessment.   

A lack of transparency regarding the planned work and adherence to planning protocols, laws and regulations has raised local concerns about the impacts the Cabot Links project may have on the biodiversity and archaeological heritage of the site, and caused alienation given the lack of public consultation.   

What is the Streets Ahead scheme?

In 2012, Sheffield City Council awarded the Streets Ahead highway maintenance contract to Amey Plc. The £2 billion contract runs for 25 years and covers the upgrading and maintenance of the city’s roads, pavements, street lights, bridges and other assets, including 36,000 highway trees. A major review of the city’s highways in 2007 suggested that 3 per cent of highway trees (around 1,000 trees) potentially needed to be removed.

Outline of the environmental injustice

Once the contract began, around 5,500 trees were felled as part of the Streets Ahead contract. Residents and local campaigners raised concerns over the large number of trees scheduled for felling and that the decision to fell trees was not taking into account the cultural, aesthetic and amenity value of these urban trees, as well as their ecological value. Public meetings were held to inform neighbourhoods of the work to be carried out but no opportunity was given to influence the nature or outcome of the work.

Lack of consultation and transparency

Conflict emerged between local communities and the local authority over the management of the urban trees under the contract. The council maintained that only dead, diseased, dying or dangerous trees were felled but this was disputed by local campaigners. Several neighbourhood groups were formed and joined together to create the umbrella group STAG (Sheffield Tree Action Groups). A number of events and workshops were held which involved local councillors, local campaigners and environmental experts, but by 2017 around 7,000 trees had been felled, with reports that up to 17,500 predominantly healthy trees were to be felled in total. Removal took place without effective community engagement and consultation, and contractual issues limited public scrutiny or transparency.

By 2018, demonstrations, a number of arrests and subsequent court cases had added further council expenditure due to legal costs and compensation payments to the contractor resulting from delays. The scheme was paused after much criticism, and by late 2018 changes announced with acknowledgment that healthy street trees should only be replaced if no other practical solution could be found.

In February 2019, seven campaigners were awarded compensation by South Yorkshire police for being wrongly detained whilst protesting against the tree felling. A resident’s complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman was also upheld and the ombudsman ruled that the contractor (Amey) had “deliberately set out not to reveal the true advice it had received”.

What is the Yida project?

The Yida project, named after its Chinese investor Yida International, is a US$750 million resort and residential development project in Antigua and Barbuba on which construction began in 2015.

The site for the project lies within the boundary of the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA), designated in 2005 and protected from alteration or disturbance by the 2006 Fisheries Act. The focal offshore area of the project site, the Guiana Bay Islands, are home to a number of endemic and migratory species, including the endangered West Indian Whistling Duck and Tropic Bird, and are a critical nursery for species of importance to the local and regional fishing industries.

Outline of the environmental injustice

The Antigua and Barbuda Department of Environment (DoE), environmental professionals and the public alike have expressed deep concerns about the environmental impact of development for the Yida project, which has been widely reported to have already resulted in the overriding of environmental laws, including the removal of protected mangrove habitats in order to create new beaches.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) highlighted major problems with the proposed work however, despite the outcome of the EIA, construction has reportedly continued as planned. The EIA was additionally deemed unsatisfactory by the DoE upon review, requesting comprehensive coastal environmental impact and engineering studies to be carried out in addition to the existing assessment, however it is unclear if these have taken place.

In addition to the impact on the protected marine ecosystem, opponents of the project have also argued that the removal of mangrove trees greatly increases the likelihood of flooding and hurricanes to the island.

International commitments for environmental protection in Antigua and Barbuda

In 2015, Antigua and Barbuda agreed and committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the following year signed and later ratified the legally binding Paris Agreement, pledging to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, in 2020 the Government signed and ratified the Escazú Agreement, ensuring public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. Opponents of the Yida project therefore argue that, in addition to breaching environmental laws in place in Antigua and Barbuda to protect the marine ecosystem, the planned development also contravenes the country’s international commitments to ensure sustainable development, urgent action on climate change and the rights of local people to engage in decision-making.