The recurrent message being spread by the government is that there is no urgent action that need to be taken within the energy sector. It is government’s duty to incentivize the necessary changes: this can be enabled through the provision of incentives and disincentives that encourage such a change while penalizing those who refuse to change. This was stated at a press conference addressed by ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons at a press conference in Castille square this morning.

ADPD Secretary General, Dr Ralph Cassar said that currently there is a lot of uncertainty in the energy sector especially due to the geo-political changes brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is feared that energy prices will continue to rise astronomically. What’s sure is that prices will remain very volatile. It is within this context that Malta’s dependency on the energy obtained through the interconnector from Sicily needs to be reconsidered.

Government’s policy to grant a subsidy over electricity charges to all and sundry is not sustainable. This encourages waste and does not promote the use of sustainable alternatives. We have been saying this now for many months. Even the International Monetary Fund chief for Malta’s mission recently emphasized that the way that these subsidies are being given needs to change. While it is prudent – indeed necessary – to assist those with low and medium incomes in connection with the basic consumption needed, this aid should not be granted to those who can afford the prices closer to the actual prices it is costing the country. If there is no change in policy, the IMF chief warned that this will have a negative impact on the country’s finances.

“Government currently subsidizes energy and fuel to the tune of €1.5 million daily. This expenditure should have been applied in the past in renewable energy investment. Instead of dragging of feet that we have got used too, this would have reduced substantially our country’s dependence on the energy imports over the interconnector. Up to the end of 2022, €472.5 million have been paid out in energy and food subsidies and another €608 million are expected to be spent this year. Some of these funds would have been better applied towards moving from our dependency on fossil fuels to renewable energy sources instead. Thanks to these subsidies, government is simply delaying facing up to the real issues. But these will remain and one day or another will need to be faced,” concluded Cassar.

ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that “Successive governments have repeatedly postponed the necessary investment in renewable energy. An exception had even been negotiated with the EU so that our obligations to generate 20% of our energy needs from renewable sources had been reduced to 10%. When it comes to electricity, the other parties talk only about the interconnector as if this is our only saviour while little is said about the need to reduce our energy consumption. Our dependency on the interconnector is going to increase further with the second one being planned! It is imperative that those who use energy with abandon pay its full cost. We need to increase the investment in new renewable energy infrastructure.”

“A stark example of the lack of commitment by government to take the necessary action lest it be criticised by its political adversaries is the campaign for efficient use of energy in industry and business. This supposedly campaign became just a press conference with some guidelines. No targets, no incentives or disincentives or penalties to encourage targets to be attained. A commercial price for higher consumption may be used as a tool to reduce waste of energy.”

“Industries – especially those which leave major environmental impacts such as tourism and construction – should be duty bound to change their operations in order to achieve the target of reducing the global temperature rise to under 1.5°C. Plans should be made based on science and with clear targets to achieve zero carbon.”

“In 2019, we reached the number of 2.8 million tourists. We are once again approaching these huge numbers. The target of 5 million tourists per year is also being mentioned. This is pure madness. The point is whether these numbers are sustainable. This is an argument that has been going on even when the numbers were much smaller. The debate was, and should continue to be, about whether we should focus more on quality than on quantity. There is an environmental dimension to this argument. The time has come to stop adding more hotels, and to immediately withdraw this government’s policy allowing to hoteliers to add floors to existing hotels. Every hotel must also adhere to the highest standards when it comes to the use and generation of renewable energy. The construction industry needs to be resized, that is, to shrink. Every new building must generate the electricity it consumes from renewable sources, while the highest standards of efficiency in the use of energy should be mandatory both in new buildings, as well as in buildings that have been rehabilitated, refurbished or rebuilt.”

“Ultimately all aid granted to companies from time to time should be conditional on the operational changes required to eliminate their impact on the climate. We need a robust commitment to transition to a green and circular economy,” concluded Cacopardo.

***

Miljun u nofs Euro f’sussidji kuljum mhux sostenibbli

Il-messaġġ li kontinwament qed jagħti l-gvern huwa li m’hemmx urġenza fil-qasam tal-enerġija u t-tniġġis. Xogħol il-gvern huwa li jinċentiva l-bidla meħtieġa: dan għandu jinkludi il-ħolqien ta’ inċentivi u diżinċentivi  li filwaqt li jinkuraġġixxu l-bidla, min-naħa l-oħra jippenalizzaw lil min jirreżisti l-bidla neċessarja. Dawn qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party meta indirizzaw konferenza stampa quddiem Kastilja dalgħodu.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD, Dr Ralph Cassar qal li teżisti ħafna inċertezza fil-qasam tal-enerġija bħalissa speċjalment minħabba is-sitwazzjoni ġeo-politika li ġabet magħha l-invażjoni tal-Ukrajina mir-Russja. Hemm il-biża li l-prezzijiet tal-enerġija jistgħu jkomplu jisparaw il-fuq. Li huwa żgur hu li l-prezzijiet se jibqgħu volatili u instabbli. F’dan il-kuntest id-dipendenza ta’ Malta fuq enerġija li tinxtara permezz tal-interconnector li għandna ma’ Sqallija jeħtieġ tkun eżaminata mill-ġdid.

Il-politika tal-gvern – dik li jagħti sussidju lil kulħadd dwar l-elettriku mhijiex sostenibbli. Dan jinkoraġġixxi l-ħela u ma jimmotivax l-użu ta’ alternattivi sostenibbli. Dan ilna ngħiduh ix-xhur. Saħansitra il-kap tal-missjoni tal-Fond Monetarju Internazzjonali (IMF) għal Malta emfasizza li l-mod kif qiegħed jingħata dan is-sussidju dwar il-konsum tal-elettriku għandu jinbidel. Filwaqt li huwa għaqli – anzi meħtieġ – li jiġu mgħejjuna dawk bi dħul baxx jew medju in konnessjoni mal-konsum bażiku meħtieġ, din l-għajnuna m’għandhiex tingħata ukoll lil dawk li jifilħu prezzijiet viċin kemm qiegħed jiġi jiswa verament. Jekk dan ma jsirx, il-kelliem tal-IMF wissa li dan kien se jkollu impatt fuq ir-riżorsi finanzjarji tal-pajjiż.

“Il-Gvern illum qed jissussidja l-enerġija u l-fuel b’madwar miljun u nofs euro kuljum. Dan it-tip ta’ infieq kien meħtieġ li jsir fis-snin passati f’investiment fuq enerġija rinovabbli. Kieku dan sar, flok it-tkaxkir tas-saqajn li dejjem iffaċċjajna, d-dipendenza tagħna fuq l-importazzjoni tal-enerġija mill-interconnector kienet tkun ħafna inqas. Sal-aħħar tal-2022, €472.5 miljun intefqu f’sussidji fuq l-enerġija u ikel u mas-€608 miljuni oħra mistennija jintefqu din is-sena. Parti minn dawn il-fondi setgħu ntefqu fuq enerġija rinnovabbli imma minflok bqajna b’dipendenza kbira fuq fuels fossili. Bis-sussidji l-Gvern qiegħed jipposponi li jiffaċċja l-problemi. Ma jistax jaħrab minnhom u illum jew għada jrid jiffaċċjahom” temm Cassar.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD, il-Perit Carmel Cacopardo qal li “Gvern wara ieħor dejjem ra kif jipposponi l-investiment neċessarju fl-enerġija rinovabbli.  Anke deroga ġiet negozjata biex jitnaqqas l-obbligu tal-pajjiż u minflok 20% niġġeneraw 10% biss tal-enerġija meħtieġa minn sorsi renovabbli. Fil-qasam tal-enerġija elettrika, politiċi tal-partiti l-oħra jitkellmu biss dwar l-interconnector qisu dan is-salvazzjoni tagħna u ftit jew xejn dwar il-bżonn ta’ tnaqqis fl-użu tal-enerġija. Din id-dipendenza issa ser tikber għax hu ippjanat it-tieni interconnector ukoll! Hemm il-bżonn li min juża l-elettriku bl-addoċċ jħallas il-prezz sħiħ tiegħu. Jeħtieġ li nintensifikaw l-investiment f’infrastruttura ġdida għall-enerġija rinovabbli.”

“Eżempju ċar ta’ kif il-gvern mhux lest li jieħu azzjoni minħabba l-biża’ tal-kritika tal-avversarji politiċi hija l-kampanja tal-effiċjenza fl-użu tal-enerġija fl-industrija u fin-negozji. 

Din il-kampanja spiċċat biss konferenza stampa b’linji gwida. La hemm miri, u lanqas taħlita ta’ inċentivi u diżinċentivi jew penali biex il-miri jintlaħqu. Prezz kummerċjali għall-konsum għoli huwa għodda li tgħin fit-tnaqqis tal-ħela ta’ din ir-riżorsa.

“Il-kumpaniji, speċjalment dawk b’impatt ekoloġiku kbir bħat-turiżmu u l-kostruzzjoni, għandhom ikunu obbligati li b’mod konkret ibiddlu l-operat tagħhom biex tintlaħaq il-mira li ż-żieda fit-temperatura medja tad-dinja tinżamm taħt il-1.5°C. Il-pjanijiet għandhom ikunu ibbażati fuq ix-xjenza u b’miri ċari biex il-kumpaniji jsiru żero karbonju.”

“Fi tmiem is-sena 2019, ilħaqna n-numru ta’ 2.8 miljun turista iżuruna. Erġajna resqin lejn dawn l-ammont esaġerati ta’ turisti. Qed tissemma ukoll mira ta’ 5 miljun turist fis-sena. Dan ġenn. Il-punt hu jekk dawn in-numri humiex sostenibbli. Dan hu argument ta’ dejjem li ilu għaddej sa minn meta n-numri kienu ferm iżgħar. Id-dibattitu kien, u għandu jibqa’ jkun dwar jekk għandniex niffukaw iktar fuq il-kwalità milli fuq il-kwantità. Hemm dimensjoni ambjentali f’dan l-argument. Wasal iż-żmien li ma jibqgħux jiżdiedu l-lukandi, u tiġi rtirata minnufih ir-rigal li ta dal-gvern lil-lukandiera li lukandi eżistenti jkomplu jżidu s-sulari. Kull lukanda għandu wkoll ikollha l-ogħla standards fejn jidħol l-użu u l-ġenerazzjoni tal-enerġija rinovabbli. L-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni hemm bżonn li tiġi ridimensjonata, u tiċkien. Kull bini ġdid għandu jiġġenera l-elettriku li jikkonsma minn sorsi rinovabbli, filwaqt li l-ogħla standards ta’ effiċjenza fl-użu tal-enerġija għandhom  ikunu obbligatorji kemm f’bini ġdid, kif ukoll f’bini li rijabilitat, irranġat jew mibni mill-ġdid.”

“Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar kull għajnuna li tingħata lill-kumpaniji minn żmien għal żmien, għandha tkun marbuta ma’ obbligu għal bidla fl-operat biex ma ssirx ħsara lill-klima. Għandu jkun hemm impenn ċar biex isseħħ it-tranżizzjoni lejn xogħol u ekonomija ħadra u ċirkolari,” temm jgħid Cacopardo.