In a joint statement between AD and PD regarding the PM’s speech at the Cabinet meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce building yesterday, AD and PD stress that while it is good to see that at long last the Prime Minister is recognising that there should be a green and just transition to a fairer society and a zero-carbon economy that improves people’s quality of life, this vision is in fact the European Union’s vision. It is in fact the European Union, following years of pressure from the European Green Party and Greens in their respective countries and in the European Parliament, and by civil society especially by young climate activists, which is now forcing national governments such as Malta’s to take the necessary steps to combat climate change and the collapse of the current economic system.

AD spokespersons on the circular economy and infrastructure, Dr Ralph Cassar, and on climate change, Samuel Muscat said: “The EU’s ‘Green Deal’, if implemented properly, means that we could reach an EU-wide zero-carbon society by 2050. However for this to happen, the attempts of the Maltese government and of other national governments to undermine the proposed targets, rendering the EU Green Deal ineffective need to stop. Together with the European Greens, AD and PD stress that science shows us that drastic reductions in carbon emissions are necessary. The European climate law must bind member states to reduce emissions by 65% by 2030. So far Maltese governments have always negotiated ridiculous and low targets for Malta. If the Prime Minister’s words are to be taken seriously we expect him to commit to a drastic reduction in emissions by 2030. We expect him to announce the phase-out of petrol and diesel, and the phase-out of heavy fuel oil used by the Maltese merchant fleet, which account for 5% of pollution from ships worldwide. We expect a serious plan to strengthen the electricity distribution system so that the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources can be drastically increased.”

So far the Prime Minister cannot be taken seriously because the government’s actions such as, for example, the widening the roads for more and more cars, the plan for an underwater tunnel between Malta and Gozo and the shelving of plans for a fast-ferry system, the economic focus on mass tourism and aviation, the low proportion of clean energy generated, as well as the lack of effective infrastructure for alternative means of commuting (such as bicycles and electric bicycles) indicate that for this government everything is ‘business as usual’. The government has not even launched a comprehensive plan on switching vehicles to electric ones, despite having long promised to launch such a plan.

From a financial point of view, for the Prime Minister to be taken seriously about his readiness to carry out the EU’s vision for a better quality of life for all, Robert Abela must present a plan indicating how he intends to make up for the lack of government income from fuels duties, once fossil fuels are phased out. This substantial source of income supports various public services. Does the government have the courage to admit that one of the solutions is a financial speculation tax? Has he the courage to admit that the tax system needs to be recalibrated to reflect the new digital economy, and that a digital tax that mainly affects digital multinationals that are so far avoiding taxes big time, is one of solutions?

AD and PD stress that for the EU’s vision, which the PM is peddling as his own idea, to succeed, it is necessary that government presents a detailed and ambitious plan for Malta such that an informed, detailed and deep public discussion on a fair transition to a zero-carbon society leading to an improvement in the quality of life of all can take place.

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AD/PD: Il-viżjoni li ppreżenta l-PM mhix tiegħu iżda tal-Unjoni Ewropea 

Fi stqarrija konġunta bejn AD u PD rigward id-diskors tal-PM fil-laqgħa tal-Kabinett li seħħ fil-bini tal-Kamra tal-Kummerċ ilbieraħ, AD u PD jisħqu li filwaqt li huwa tajjeb li l-Prim Ministru fl-aħħar qed jammetti li għandu jkun hemm tranżizzjoni lejn soċjeta’ aktar ġusta u lejn ekonomija zero-karbonju li ttejjeb il-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tan-nies, ta’ min jgħid li hija l-Unjoni Ewropea, wara pressjoni kbira mill-Ħodor Ewropej fil-pajjiżi rispettivi u fil-Parlament Ewropew, u mis-soċjeta’ ċivili speċjalment attivisti żgħażagħ, li sfurzat idejn il-gvernijiet nazzjonali bħal dak ta’ Malta jibdew jieħdu l-passi meħtieġa minħabba l-kriżi tal-bidla fil-klima u l-kollass fis-sistema ekonomika preżenti.  

Il-kelliema tal-AD dwar l-ekonomija ċirkolari u l-infrastruttura Dr Ralph Cassar, u dak dwar il-bidla fil-klima, Samuel Muscat qalu:”Bi pjan imsejjaħ ‘Green Deal’ jew ‘Pjan Aħdar’, nistgħu nimxu lejn zero karbonju sal-2050. Biex dan iseħħ imma hemm bżonn li l-gvern Malti u gvernijiet oħra ma jkomplux bit-tentattivi tagħhom biex idgħajjfu l-miri proposti bir-riskju li l-‘Green Deal’ tal-UE jispiċċa ineffettiv u bla saħħa. Flimkien mal-Ħodor Ewropej, AD u PD nisħqu li x-xjenza turina li hemm bżonn tnaqqis drastiku fl-emmissjonijiet tal-karbonju. Nishqu li l-liġi Ewropea dwar il-klima torbot lill-istati membri jnaqqsu l-emmissjonijiet b’65% sal-2030. S’issa gvernijiet Maltin dejjem innegozjaw miri redikoli u baxxi għal Malta. Jekk il-kliem tal-Prim Ministru jfisser xi ħaġa nippretendu li minn issa jikkommetti ruħu għal tnaqqis drastiku fl-emmissjonijiet sal-2030. Nippretendu li jħabbar il-phase-out tal-petrol u d-diesel, u l-phase-out tal-heavy fuel oil użat mill-flotta ta’ vapuri tal-bandiera Maltija, liema emmissjonijiet jlaħħqu l-5% tat-tniġġis mill-vapuri tad-dinja kollha. Nippretendu pjan serju għat-tisħiħ tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku biex il-proporzjon ta’ elettriku ġġenerat minn sorsi rinovabbli jkun jista’ jiżdied drastikament.”

S’issa l-Prim Ministru ma jistax jittieħed bis-serjeta’ għax l-azzjonijiet tal-gvern, per eżempju t-twessiegħ tat-toroq għall-aktar u aktar karozzi, l-pjan għal mina taħt il-baħar bejn Malta u Ghawdex u l-abbandun tas-sistema tal-fast-ferries, l-enfasi ekonomika fuq turiżmu tal-massa u l-avjazzjoni, il-proporzjon baxx ta’ enerġija nadifa, kif ukoll in-nuqqas ta’ infrastruttura effettiva għal min juża mezzi nodfa u alternattivi ta’ trasport personali (bħal roti u roti elettriċi) jindikaw li għal gvern kollox ‘business as usual’. Il-gvern lanqas ma nieda pjan komprensiv dwar il-qalba tal-vetturi għal dawk elettriċi, minkejja li ilu jwiegħed li jniedi tali pjan.

Mil-lat finanzjarju biex il-Prim Ministru jibda jittieħed bis-serjeta’ dwar kemm lest li jwettaq il-viżjoni tal-UE għal kwalita’ ta’ ħajja aħjar għal kulħadd għandu jippreżenta pjan biex jgħidilna kif bi ħsiebu jpatti għan-nuqqas ta’ dħul sostanzjali mid-dazji fuq il-fuels, liema dħul isostni diversi servizzi pubbliċi. Il-gvern għandu l-kuraġġ li jammetti li waħda mis-soluzzjonijiet hija taxxa fuq l-ispekulazzjoni finanzjarja (Financial Transactions Tax)? Għandu l-kuraġġ li jammetti li s-sistema tat-taxxi għandha tiġi rikalibrata biex tirrifletti l-ekonomija diġitali, u li taxxa diġitali li tolqot l-aktar lill-mutinazzjonali diġitali li sa issa qed jevitaw li jerfgħu l-biċċa tagħhom hija waħda mis-soluzzjonijiet?

AD u PD jisħqu li biex il-viżjoni tal-UE, li l-PM qed jagħmel ta’ bir-ruħu hija idea tiegħu, tirnexxi, hemm bżonn mill-aktar fis possibbli jippreżenta pjan dettaljat u ambizzjuż għal Malta biex isir diskussjoni pubblika fil-fond u fid-dettall dwar tranżizzjoni ġusta lejn soċjeta’ zero-karbonju li twassla għal titjib konkret fil-kwalita’ tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd.