UK and Angola unite to promote environmental awareness
British Ambassador to Angola, Jessica Hand, hosted The Queen’s 93rd Birthday Party (QBP) on World Environment Day, 5th June.
HMA to Angola, Jessica Hand and Angolan Minister of Environment, Paula Coelho
The Ambassador welcomed over 350 guests to her Residence for an environmentally friendly celebration and was joined by the Angolan Minister of Environment, Paula Coelho.
Both the Ambassador and Minister spoke on this year’s QBP theme of “Protecting our Environment - #beyondplastic”. The Ambassador noted that “Climate change is a daily reality and we see its effects constantly:
… it is essential that we become the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
She also stressed the FCO’s achievements in reducing single-use plastic in its operations.
Angolan Minister of Environment, Paula Coelho and HMA to Angola, Jessica Hand
The Minister focused on the importance of protecting the environment and the initiatives of the UK and Angolan governments to tackle the challenges, highlighting that Angola has just announced a ban on single-use plastics.
She said:
The preservation of the environment and its components is becoming a top priority for the global population, as a result of the increasing impact of man’s actions.” She stressed the value of national and international actors joining forces to tackle the challenges and paid tribute to the “support of Her Majesty’s Government in wildlife protection, the ivory inventory, training and capacity building in environmental management, amongst others.
HMA to Angola, Jessica Hand,Angolan Minister of Environment, Paula Coelho, and representatives of BP, Jaguar LandRover, Aggreko, MACE, Banco BAI, Rolls-Royce, De la Rue and Diageo companies.
Throughout the evening, guests saw footage of the impact of marine plastic pollution, the work of creative Angolan companies that transform plastic and other waste materials into floor tiles and interior decoration, and artwork on marine plastic pollution from pupils of a local school.
Sponsors included BP (showcasing environmental initiatives), Jaguar LandRover (prefacing the arrival of hybrid vehicles in Angola), Aggreko (focusing on renewal and clean energy options), MACE (working in Angola on environmentally compliant infrastructure development), Banco BAI (Angolan financing for international partners), and others including Rolls-Royce, De la Rue, Pensana and Diageo.