Carmel Cacopardo

Over the past years political consideration of the environment has increased substantially. However, at times it is just lip service, at others it is an exercise in doing the bare minimum, just enough to convey the false impression that one cares.

Having the environment as a central focus of political action signifies that we know our role precisely: that we are an integral part of the eco-system. This necessarily signifies that each and every action planned and/or acted upon should be compatible with and not in opposition to the forces of nature.

Various worthwhile initiatives have been taken in hand. They are not however based on a commitment to care for the environment.

Consider, for example, the current drive on public open spaces. As I have repeatedly emphasised in these columns, this initiative is commendable. However, simultaneously, its impacts are cancelled by various land use planning decisions which have no qualms in encouraging the development of agricultural land.

Time and again it is pointed out that, large tracts of agricultural land were, in 2006, included within the development zone through the approval by Parliament of the rationalisation exercise. In the past weeks and months these lands have been incorporated in various proposals for development. As I write I have received documentation about another 40,000 square metres of primarily agricultural land which will possibly be approved shortly for development in Ta’ Durumblat Mosta.

We do remember of a multitude of localities which are faced with a similar predicament, today, 20 years after Parliament approved the rationalisation exercise. Żurrieq follows Marsaskala, Iklin, Marsaxlokk, Mosta, Santa Luċija, Attard, Swieqi and many other localities. More will undoubtedly follow, as Labour in Parliament does not have the courage to proceed with the cancellation of the rationalisation exercise which it had voted against in Parliament in 2006. Labour in government prefers to play around with €700 million thinking that it is creating new “public open spaces” when it can be much more effective if it defends the countryside, the existing open space provided by nature for free.

To this one can add the various proposals for the development of supermarkets outside the development zone. In addition to the undesirability of ODZ development this further fuels the degradation of our towns and villages. As an issue of land use planning, it has not been addressed by the Planning Authority over the years.  It is a responsibility which the Planning Authority has abdicated and left to market forces to decide. Surprisingly, local councils have generally not spoken up about the matter, notwithstanding the substantial impacts which most localities have to shoulder as a result.

Each supermarket has a substantial catchment area. Most users of supermarkets travel by private car to do their shopping when it most suits them. In an age when most of us are more conscious of the fact that private car use is a significant contributor to Malta’s climate change impacts, we should factor this into land use planning considerations.

The issue ties in with the 15-minute city, a land use planning concept which is being floated around as a suitable objective in various countries. If this objective is attained it would be a significant contributor not just to reducing car-use but also to the regeneration of our towns and villages taking account of climate change impacts.

In the long term it makes much more sense to help local commercial outlets overcome problems generated by competition then encouraging the mushrooming of supermarkets. This can be done through encouraging the development of and the application of the cooperative model in our commercial sector at a locality level. Helping SMEs to address the problems they face by pooling resources would ensure that our localities are revitalised and that the threats generated by supermarkets are overcome.

Some years back, the Gozo Regional Development Authority published for public consultation a regional strategy for Gozo, emphasising Gozo’s basic characteristic as being that of “an island of villages”. The basic arguments then made are equally applicable across all regions, as small is always beautiful in environmental matters. We need to rediscover the calm and serenity generated by the smallness of our islands. The smallness of our island state can be a solution to most of the problems that we face.

In addressing environmental issues, we need to go beyond paying lip-service. This can be done through ensuring that our communities are adequately protected from development-driven greed. Our communities appreciate that they must work hand-in-hand with nature, not against it. This is the real significance of the term “an island of villages”. It is about time that we walk the talk.

Carmel Cacopardo is ADPD-The Green Party’s Deputy Chairperson

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 22 February 2026