Minister of Sustainable Development

An official ceremony occurred on Friday, June 21st, to inaugurate the Department of the Environment (DOE) office in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The office space will also accommodate the Belize Forest Department and will not only serve Ambergris Caye but Caye Caulker and Caye Chapel. The event was held at the Boca del Rio Beach Park and consisted of a brief ceremony attended by officials and guests. Area Representative and Minister of the Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management, the Honourable Andre Perez, Minister of Sustainable Development, the Honourable Orlando Habet, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai, and Councilor Jose Castellanos were present to officiate this significant milestone for the island.

Minister of Sustainable Development Honourable Orlando Habet said that the deadline for single-use plastic and Styrofoam products in Belize would be December 2021. Habet shared this with the media from Glasgow, Scotland, where he is attending the UN Climate Change Summit. He said his ministry is preparing to enforce the Environment Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulations that was signed in January 2020.