ADPD – The Green Party called for an overhaul and change in the economic system and for Malta to be at the forefront of the urgent fight against climate change in light of the latest United Nations IPPC report, prepared by thousands of scientists from around the world the world, which declared ‘code red’ for humanity.

ADPD Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar addressed the risks facing Malta, saying that those who are undermining concrete action to fight climate change, both in Malta and in the EU, need to stop hampering necessary urgent actions towards a zero-carbon economy and world. 

“Malta is a vulnerable country due to its geographical position. The most vulnerable people, from children to the elderly are the ones who are suffering the most due to climate change. We are having and will continue to have longer periods of intense heat, which will get worse as years go by. Increased risk of drought, with episodes of torrential rain will increase the risk of flooding. We will have fires in the few wooded areas we have. Maltese fauna and flora will be devastated because they will not be able to adapt easily to higher temperatures. We can expect to see the destruction of beaches, especially sandy ones, as the sea level level rises due to melting ice around the world. We can expect flooding of harbours and seaside towns and villages. Sea level is expected to rise by as much as 2 meters and even more by the year 2100. Another effect is on infrastructure, including electricity infrastructure which is rendered less effective or inoperative because of intense heat or due to increased episodes of extreme weather. Groundwater will continue to become saltier as sea level rises. These are immediate effects, others include a risk of diseases spread because insects, more suited to the heat, spread diseases such as malaria and dengue in the Mediterranean. We can expect to see higher food prices, as food security both in Malta and abroad is adversely affected by climate change. The risks of conflict, even in the Mediterranean, will increase as countries are unable to cope with climate change.”

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said the party had long been making concrete proposals on climate change and warned of the need for immediate action. “Malta can benefit greatly from a shift to a more sustainable society. We want system change, not climate change.”

“We must move to a Malta which does not have this intensive construction activity that has been going on too long now. The construction sector should be cut down to size. All development permits should require clean energy generation technology. All new buildings should generate all the clean energy they need. We need to move towards a more efficient use of electricity and towards clean sources of energy from the solar energy, wind energy and wave energy. We need to change our transport system to a sustainable one. Today we have traffic, cars and pollution everywhere. A Bus Rapid Transit system is sorely needed – that is lanes currently used by cars should be reserved for buses only – 24 hours a day and free of charge. We need to give back road space to people, we need roads full of trees, roads full of bicycles, scooters and people, not full of vehicles.”

“Every economic activity must be compatible with the goals of combating climate change, and therefore all economic incentives given by government must be linked to actions in favour of climate protection. We can start with tourism. Now is the time to restructure the sector. Going back to almost three million tourists a year (2019 statistics) is unsustainable. No more mass tourism. Not one more cent in incentives aimed at increasing more and more tourists. We must move down the difficult road of a tourist industry based on quality, not numbers.”

“We cannot expect our country to be taken seriously and expect that others will take action while here successive governments have reduced and slashed our obligations – starting with a Nationalist government which had reduced Malta’s obligation for clean energy from 20% to 10% by 2020, followed by this government which is trying to reduce Malta’s obligation to reduce emissions from 36% down to 19% by 2030. These manoeuvres in Malta show how the traditional parties have never taken climate change seriously. They are today spouting rhetoric and greenwash but do not come up with concrete proposals and with ambitious goals. This is testament that even today their rhetoric on climate change and sustainability are just empty words.”

***

Kodiċi Aħmar: fl-interess nazzjonali li tittieħed azzjoni effettiva dwar il-klima

ADPD issejjaħ għal bidla mill-qiegħ fis-sistema ekonomika u biex Malta tkun fuq quddiem fil-ġlieda urġenti kontra l-bidla fil-klima fid-dawl tar-rapport IPCC tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti, ippreparat minn eluf ta’ xjenzati minn madwar id-dinja, li ddikjara kodiċi aħmar għall-umanità. L-urġenza għal azzjoni hi dettata mill-fatt li Malta nnifisha hi fi stat ta’ vulnerabiltà kbira.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD Dr Ralph Cassar itratta r-riskji li qed tiffaċċja Malta, u qal li hemm bżonn li min qed jimmina azzjoni konkreta dwar il-klima, kemm f’Malta kif ukoll fl-UE jieqaf ifixkel l-mixja urġenti lejn ekonomija u dinja żero-karbonju.

“Malta hija pajjiż vulnerabbli minħabba l-fatt li hi gżira bi żvilupp intensiv madwar partijiet kbar mill-kosta. Il-persuni l-aktar vulnerabbli, mit-tfal sal-anzjani huma dawk li qegħin ibatu l-aktar minħabba l-bidla fil-klima. Qed ikollna u se jkollna iktar perjodi twal ta’ sħana intensiva, li jiggravaw aktar ma jgħaddu is-snin. Riskju ikbar ta’ nixfa, u fl-istess ħin il-ftit xita li tagħmel tiġi b’saħħa qawwija li żżid ir-riskju ta’ għargħar. Se jkollna aktar nirien qawwija fil-ftit żoni msaġġra li għandna. Effett kbir fuq il-fawna u flora ta’ Malta, li mhux se jkunu jistgħu jaddattaw faċilment għal temperaturi aktar għoljin. Qerda ta’ bajjiet, speċjalment dawk ramlin, aktar ma jogħla l-livell tal-baħar minħabba li qed jinħall is-silġ madwar id-dinja. Il-livell tal-baħar jista’ jogħla anke 2 metri u iżjed sas-sena 2100 skont kemm se togħla t-temperatura minħabba l-emissjonijiet serra. Dan kollu jeffettwa l-użu tal-infrastruttura marittima fil- portijiet tagħna kif ukoll il-lokalitajiet żviluppati mal-kosta, kollha b’konnessjoni turistika. 

Effett ieħor huma problemi u qerda ta’ infrastruttura li ma tiflaħx is-sħana intensiva, fosthom infrastruttura tal-enerġija elettrika. L-ilma tal-pjan se jkompli jsir aktar mielaħ hekk kif jogħla l-livell tal-baħar. Dawn huma effetti immedjati, oħrajn jinkludu riskju ta’ tixrid ta’ mard minħabba li l-klima lokali bil-mod se taqleb għal waħda tropikali Se naraw prezzijiet aktar għoljin tal-ikel, hekk kif is-sigurtà tal-ikel kemm Malta kif ukoll barra tiġi affetwata ħafna mit-tibdil fil-klima. Ir-riskji ta’ kunflitti, anke fil-Mediterran se jiżdiedu hekk kif pajjiżi ma jkunux jistgħu ikampaw mat-tibdil fil-klima.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-partit ilu żmien jagħmel proposti konkreti fuq il-bidla fil-klima u jwissi dwar il-bżonn li tittieħed azzjoni immedjata. 

“Għandna nimxu għal Malta li m’għandhiex dil-attività ta’ bini intensiv li issa ilna għaddejjin biha. Is-settur tal-bini għandu jitrażżan minnufih. Kull permess ta’ żvilupp għandu jkun marbut li fl-istess bini tkun iġġenerata enerġija rinovabbli. Fil-kaz ta’ kull xorta ta’ bini ġdid għandna nimxu lejn obbligu ta’ bini li jkun carbon-neutral, jiġifieri li minnu stess tkun iġġenerata enerġija daqs kemm tkun ikkunsmata. Hemm bżonn li nimxu lejn aktar effiċjenza fl-użu tal-elettriku u lejn sorsi nodfa ta’ enerġija mix-xemx, mir-riħ u mill-mewġ malajr. 

Hemm bżonn li nibdlu s-sistemi tat-trasport għal waħda sostenibbli, minflok traffiku, karozzi u tniġġis kullimkien. Hemm bżonn sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit – iġifieri karreġġjati li bħalissa jużawhom il-karozzi ikunu riservati biss għal tal-linja – 24 siegħa kuljum u bla ħlas. Hemm bżonn nagħtu t-toroq lura lin-nies, toroq mimlija siġar, mimlija roti, scooters u nies, mhux mimlija vetturi.”

“Kull attività ekonomika għandha tkun kompatibbli mal-miri biex niġġieldu l-bidla fil-klima, u għaldaqstant l-inċentivi ekonomiċi li jagħti l-gvern għandhom ikunu marbutin ma’ azzjonijiet favur it-tħaris tal-klima. Nistgħu nibdew bil-qasam tat-turiżmu li jiġġenera impatti enormi ambjentali, inkluż fuq il-klima riżultat tal-emissjonijiet tas-settur tal-avjazzjoni. Issa huwa ż-żmien li s-settur jiġi ristrutturat. Li mmorru lura għal kważi tliet miljun turist fis-sena (statistika tal-2019) mhux sostenibbli. Daqshekk turiżmu tal-massa. Daqshekk inċentivi immirati biex iżidu aktar u aktar turisti. Irridu nibdew il-mixja iebsa lejn turiżmu ta’ kwalità.”

“Ma nistgħux nippretendu li pajjiżna jittieħed bis-serjetà u nistennew li ħaddieħor jieħu azzjoni meta l-Gvern Malti, wieħed wara l-ieħor, dejjem ra kif jipprova jiżgiċċa mill-obbligi tagħna – mill-gvern Nazzjonalista li ra kif innegozja tnaqqis fl-obbligu ta’ Malta għal enerġija nadifa minn 20% għal 10% sal-2020, għal dal-gvern li qed jipprova jnaqqas l-obbligu ta’ Malta għat-tnaqqis fl-emmissjonijiet minn 36% għal 19% sal-2030. Dawn il-manuvri ta’ Malta juri kemm gvern wara ieħor qatt ma ħa l-bidla fil-klima bis-serjetà. Il-paroli li qed isir mingħajr proposti konkreti u mingħajr miri ambizzjuzi huwa xiehda li anke illum id-diskors dwar il-bidla fil-klima u s-sostenibilità huma biss kliem fieragħ.”

Nimxu ‘l quddiem jekk nagħrfu nagħmlu l-bidliet meħtieġa biex ikollna ekonomija kompatibbli mal-klima (climate friendly).