The Environment Isn’t an Add-On, It’s the Foundation

This week marked the first public hustings of the 2025 election campaign, hosted by Standing Up for the Environment Guernsey. It was an energising and thought-provoking event—my first hustings since 2016—and a welcome return to that essential part of democracy: standing in front of people and answering their questions, unscripted and face to face.

Questions ranged from Marine Protected Areas and biodiversity net gain, to safer routes to school, sustainable finance, and the importance of a just green transition. What struck me most was how all these themes are interwoven—none of them sit in isolation. You can’t talk about public health without talking about clean air and active travel. You can’t talk about affordable living without addressing the cost of heating homes. And you can’t talk about economic growth without understanding the value of the environment that sustains it.

At the hustings, I opened with this:

“In my first term on the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, I saw just how deeply the environment is connected to everything we do. But I also saw how environmental action is too often met with resistance, framed as too expensive or inconvenient. That’s a false economy. Environmental policies, done well, don’t limit progress—they enable it. They create the conditions for better jobs, healthier homes, safer transport and more resilient communities.”

That belief sits at the heart of my manifesto.

Guernsey’s long-term prosperity will depend not just on how well we protect what we have, but how boldly we invest in environmental enrichment—clean energy, nature restoration, climate resilience, and better building standards. These aren’t “nice to haves.” They are the very infrastructure of the future economy.

I don’t see the environment as an obstacle to overcome. I see it as a partner in progress. My background in improvisation taught me the importance of collaboration: the mindset of saying “yes, and…” instead of “no, but…”. We need more of that spirit in politics—asking how can we make this work, rather than fixating on why it can’t.

We are uniquely placed in Guernsey. With access to such a rich natural environment, a connected community, and the flexibility of a small jurisdiction, we can become a genuine blueprint for how environmental protection and economic growth go hand in hand.

And after spending the evening talking about biodiversity net gain, it felt beautifully apt to cycle home and spot a bat darting overhead, silhouetted against the sky. As I came along the Braye du Valle, I was hit by the potent scent of summer flowers. A reminder that when we make space for nature, it shows up—and it rewards us.

I’m standing in this election to help shape that future. A future where our environment doesn’t just survive, but thrives—and with it, so does our economy and our quality of life.

If you haven’t yet read my full manifesto, you can find it here. And if you want to talk more about these ideas, I’ll be at the Meet the Candidates events and out on the doorstep—let’s have that conversation.