During this election campaign, Adrian Delia and Joseph Muscat are more interested in shallow partisan noise than in discussing the real pressing issues. Sometimes they mention the environment and climate change, but their rhetoric does not match their action. “The greatest environmental and societal challenge facing Europe and indeed the whole world is climate change, and in this regard PN and PL are climate dinosaurs”, said AD secretary General and spokesperson on energy, infrastructure and transport Ralph Cassar.

After the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the power station following the change to gas, in 2018 we have seen an increase of 6.2% in this greenhouse gas. “This was expected since like the previous Nationalist administration ignored completely that one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide (amongst other gases) is the transport sector. Government has not even tried to decouple the economy from fossil fuel use. It is true that this Government has inherited an energy sector in a state of neglect, and while it is true that Nationalists are not exactly credible in energy policy, this is about more than PLPN petty politics. This Government has no longterm vision for clean energy and transport. Low emission zones were never considered in the most traffic chocked areas, and public transport is getting stuck in traffic since Government never considered special bus corridors on our roads.”

In the European Parliament, while the Socialist Group makes some attempts to support EU climate friendly legislation, on a national level the Socialists’ poster boy Joseph Muscat does not give a hoot about Maltese and Gozitans’ quality of life. The Nationalists have nothing to boast about, despite Adrian Delia’s shallow rhetoric, they have a shameful record in the European Parliament when it comes to climate action (* links below). The Nationalist MEPs together with their EPP colleagues constantly act as the defenders of multinational companies. Their actions speak louder than their posturing.”

“We, together with the European Green Party, want to move rapidly to alternative and clean sources of energy. We want an ecological and social Europe which acts in the interests of its citizens and not in the interests of powerful monied lobbies, such as the oil industry.”

* The voting patterns of political groups in the European Parliament (including the votes of each country’s MEPs):

In-Nazzjonalisti u l-Laburisti b’politika ta’ ħsara għall-klima

Waqt dil-kampanja elettorali mhux qed nisimgħu biżżejjed fuq temi Ewropej, iżda fil-geġwiġija ta’ messaġġi xi kultant kemm Adrian Delia u kemm Joseph Muscat isemmu l-ambjent jew il-bidla fil-klima. Bħas-soltu din hija retorika u kliem fl-arja għax meta tagħsar a ssib xejn. Dwar l-akbar sfida li għandha l-Ewropa u d-dinja quddiema, il-bidla fil-klima, il-partiti l-oħra huma dinosawri. Dan qalu Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika u kelliem dwar l-enerġija, infrastruttura u trasport.

Min-naħa tal-Partit Laburista, nisimgħu ħafna retorika, iżda wara t-tnaqqis fl-emissjonijiet tad-dijossidu tal-karbonju mill-power station wara l-qalba għall-gass, fl-2018 erġajna rajna żieda ta’ 6.2% ta’ dan il-gass serra. “Dan kien mistenni għax il-Gvern, bħal dak ta’ qablu, injora kompletament wieħed mill-akbar sorsi tad-dijossidu tal-karbonju (fost gassijiet oħra), iġifieri l-vetturi. Lanqas ma rnexxielu jifred l-ekonomija mill-użu tal-fuels fossili. Huwa vera li dal-Gvern wiret diżastru fil-qasam tal-enerġija, huwa veru li n-Nazzjonalisti mhux kredibbli f’dan il-qasam, iżda dal-Gvern m’għandux viżjoni għal enerġija u trasport nadif. Low emmission zones qatt ma’ daħlu fis-seħħ, it-trasport pubbliku jkollu jeħel fit-traffiku avolja qed iġorr ħafna aktar nies minn vettura, u l-lista tkompli.”

Min-naħa l-oħra fil-Parlament Ewropew, għalkemm is-Soċjalisti jagħmlu kemmxejn sforz dwar leġislazzjoni tal-UE li tipproteġi l-klima fuq livell nazzjonali, il-mimmi t’għajnejn is-Soċjalisti, Joseph Muscat jiġi jaqa’ u jqum mill-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin. Min-naħa tal-Partit Nazzjonalista, bil-kontra, f’Malta taparsi ikkonvertew, iżda fil-Parlament Ewropew għandhom rekord tal-mistħija fejn tidħol il-protezzjoni tal-klima. Jippreferu jivvutaw favur il-multinazzjonali milli favur saħħitna (* rapport u links dwar il-voti fuq l-klima hawn taħt). Biex ma nsemmux ir-rekord tal-mistħija li pajjiżna wiret mingħand gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti. Joseph Muscat qed ikompli iżid fuq dan ir-rekord.”

“Aħna irridu li verament naqilbu malajr għal sorsi ta’ enerġija nadifa, kemm għall-elettriku u kif ukoll għat-trasport. Hemm bżonn politika serja li tħares verament l-interessi tan-nies, fl-Unjoni Ewropea u f’Malta.”

*Kif ivvutaw il-gruppi politiċi fil-Parlament Ewropew (u l-voti tal-membri parlamentari ta’ kull pajjiż):