"Barbuda developers accused of ‘greenwashing’ with human rights assessment", 19 July 2022

...Developers behind the controversial Peace, Love and Happiness (PLH) project in Barbuda have been accused of “greenwashing”...

Swiss consultancy firm Focus Right is said to have interviewed more than 70 Barbudans to gauge their thoughts on the effect the tourism and residential development is having on their culture and environment.

...While some residents have lauded the hundreds of jobs it has created, others say it is destroying protected wetlands and vital mangroves, and threatening Barbudans’ unique way of life.

The investigation was launched in the wake of a damning report from United Nations experts released in February that expressed deep concerns about potential PLH-linked human rights violations and the welfare of Barbuda’s fragile ecosystems.

PLH’s Project President Justin Wilshaw told Observer yesterday developers were keen to garner an honest evaluation and had chosen Focus Right as it is known for its impartiality...

The Barbuda Council also expressed “apprehension”, saying Focus Right had refused to make public key documents, including its terms of reference for the assessment. A release said the Council did not recognise the probe as a “legitimate endeavour” and thus rejected it. Yesterday, the non-profit Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) accused PLH of attempting to mislead the public...

“The luxury developers essentially destroyed the fragile ecology of the [Palmetto Point] peninsula and cemented their land grabbing efforts prior to allowing the human rights impact assessment”...

Focus Right – which bills itself as helping clients embed human rights due diligence into their business practices – has been approached for comment...