The recent weather in the Mediterranean and the UN conference on climate change being held in Glasgow, Scotland puts a spotlight once again on the lack of action by Malta in this area too – not because this is mandated upon us but because it is in our interest that we no longer remain carbon-dependent and build a more just economy and society. This was the topic of a press conference in Birżebbuġa held by ADPD – The Green Party.

Although many public statements give the impression that Malta may be considered a leader in climate change, in actual fact Malta has a long way to go. Dr Ralph Cassar, General Secretary, ADPD – The Green Party said: “In the budget speech it was announced that a Monitoring Board is going to be set up to oversee the implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy – the strategy that is meant to lead us to a zero-carbon economy. A few days later the Minister for the Environment declared that Malta will struggle to achieve the lower target of reducing carbon emissions by 19%, of the 2005 levels, by 2030 that Malta negotiated with the European Commission. As we have warned previously, it is evident that the government strategy will not lead Malta to become carbon neutral by 2050. It is a bigger challenge because over the years we have had governments that delayed and stalled processes that could have transformed our economy. The Low Carbon Development Strategy does not even consider sectors such as the maritime and aviation industries that leave a great impact.”

Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputy General Secretary, ADPD – The Green Party added that the boasts and counter arguments by the PLPN over the interconnector as if this was our best solution were but a smokescreen. “As we have seen over the past weeks there is no guarantee that fossil-fuel generated power is going to be cheaper. It is also not feasible that our country depends on importing such power. We should train Maltese workers to obtain skills in renewable energy. Fossil-fuel generated power through the interconnector is a pollutant too, a few kilometers further north. Aid to industry and investment should be strictly tied to zero-carbon targets.”

“After the multi-million expenditure on infrastructural projects to widen roads with the resultant destruction of agricultural land and hundreds of trees, it has already become evident that this is not going to lead to a reduction in the use of private transport. Moreover, measures announced in the 2016 Transport Master Plan were not implemented which now makes us to consider multi-billion projects such as that of the Metro – which will not necessarily solve the problems in this sector. One lesson that we have learned from the pandemic was that our country has a great capacity for teleworking that reduces commutes and improves the quality of life for many. However this has not been followed up with measures to encourage the continuation of such practice especially in the private sector.

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson, ADPD – The Green Party called for companies, especially large ones such as banks, insurers and financial services’ providers that have received or will be receiving some form of state aid to be obliged to change their operations in a significant manner to ensure that the increase in the average temperature worldwide remains under 1.5°C. The plans should be science-based and with specific targets to ensure that companies contribute to achieving zero-carbon.

“New buildings should be carbon neutral and generate all the clean energy that they need. It is imperative that solar rights are protected. Sustainable investment is needed for buildings to be retrofitted to also become zero-carbon. Government should lead by example with its own buildings. Industrial zones should be equipped with wind turbines and PV panels to generate electricity.”

“It was also not surprising that air pollution around the Grand Harbour area has been found to very high. Around 250 people die annually in Malta from diseases caused by air pollution and in the past two years this has caused more deaths than those attributed to COVID-19. Concurrently, as the previous speakers have emphasized, the unbridled increase in new vehicles on our roads has continued, definitely aided and abetted by the car importers and road infrastructure builders. It is therefore sad but not surprising that many Maltese youths are looking to leave this country that does not offer them a future due to increased pollution, haphazard building and a deteriorating quality of life.”

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Investiment sostnu biex nittrasformaw l-ekonomija u s-soċjetà

Il-maltemp fl-ibħra tal-Mediterran kif ukoll il-konferenza dwar it-tibdil fil-klima tan-Nazzjonijiet Magħquda li qegħda tinżamm fi Glasgow, l-Iskozja, jerġa jitfa’ dawl ikrah fuq kif anke f’dan il-qasam Malta mhix qegħda tagħmel biżżejjed – mhux għax xi ħadd iġgħelna nagħmlu li hemm bżonn, iżda wkoll għax huwa fl-interess tagħna li ninfatmu mid-dipendenza fuq il-karbonju u li nibnu ekonomija u soċjetà aktar ġusta. ADPD – The Green Party itratta das-suġġett waqt konferenza stampa f’Birżebbuġa.

 Għalkemm qed isir ħafna diskors li jagħti l-impressjoni li Malta hija xi leader fil-qasam tal-bidla fil-klima, filfatt Malta għadha ferm lura f’dal-qasam. Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal:”Fid-diskors tal-budget smajna li se jitwaqqaf Bord ta’ Monitoraġġ li ser jissorvelja l-implimentazzjoni tal-Low Carbon Development Strategy – l-istrateġija li suppost twassalna għal ekonomija ħadra b’żero karbonju. Ftit tal-jiem wara mbagħad kellna l-Ministru tal-Ambjent jiddikjara li anke il-mira ridotta ta’ tnaqqis fil-karbonju li Malta innegozjat mal-Kummissjoni Ewropea – dik ta’ tnaqqis ta’ 19% mil-livelli tal-2005, sal-2030 – se tkun diffiċli li tintlaħaq. Huwa ovvju, kif wissejna li l-istrategija tal-gvern mhux se twassal biex Malta tilħaq l-għan ta’ newtralità fil-karbonju sas-sena 2050. Diffiċli għax tul is-snin kellna u għad għadna gvernijiet li tnikkru, li raqdu, li ma interessahomx li jibdew jittrasformaw l-ekonomija tagħna. Il- Low Carbon Development Strategy lanqas biss tikkunsidra li setturi li jħallu impatt qawwi bħal dak marittimu u tal-avjazzjoni.”

Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali żiedet li l-ftaħir u l-battibekki tal-PLPN dwar  l-interconnector bħallikieku xi soluzzjoni huwa bżar fl-għajnejn. “L-elettriku ġenerat minn fuels fossili – anke dak mill-interconnector m’hemmx garanzija, kif rajna f’dawn l-aħħar ġimgħat, li jkun irħis. Lanqas ma jaqblilna bħala pajjiż li niddependu mill-importazzjoni tal-elettriku. Irridu ħiliet u ħaddiema Maltin li jkunu mħarrġa fl-enerġija rinovabbli. Barra minn hekk l-elettriku mill-interconnector minn fuels fossili iniġġes ukoll, ftit kilometri ‘l fuq minn pajjiżna. Irridu li kull għajnuna u investiment fl-industrija ikun marbut ma’ miri ċari ta’ żero-karbonju.”

“Wara nfieq ta’ diversi miljuni fi proġetti infrastrutturali bi twessiegħ ta’ toroq li wasslu għal qerda ta’ art agrikolu u mijiet ta’ siġar, diġà ħareġ biċ-ċar li dan mhux se jwassal għat-tnaqqis fl-użu tat-trasport privat. Fl-istess waqt, miżuri inklużi fit-Transport Master Plan tal-2016 ma twettqux bil-konsegwenza li issa illum jkollna naħsbu fi proġetti multi-billjunarji bħal tal-Metro – u li mhux bilfors se jsolvu il-problemi li għandna f’dan il-qasam. Il-pandemija urietna li f’pajjiżna hemm kapaċità qawwija ta’ teleworking li tnaqqas it-traġitti fit-toroq tagħna u ttejjeb il-kwalità tal-għajxien għal ħafna. Madankollu ftit li xejn rajna miżuri li jinkoraġġixxu li titkompla din il-prattika speċjalment fis-settur privat.”

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party għalaq billi saħaq li kull kumpanija, speċjalment dawk kbar inkluż il-banek, kumpaniji tal-assigurazzjoni u tas-servizzi finanzjarji li rċevew jew se jirċievu xi forma ta’ għajnuna pubblika għandkom 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 jikkontribwixxu għall-miri żero-karbonju.

“Binjiet ġodda għandhom ikun ‘carbon neutral’ u jiġġeneraw l-enerġija nadifa kollha li għandhom bżonn. Hu meħtieġ li d-drittijiet ta’ aċċess għax-xemx (solar rights) ikunu protetti. Hawn bżonn ta’ investiment sostnu biex kull bini, isirlu retrofitting biex ukoll isir żero-karbonju. Il-gvern għandu jibda mill-bini tiegħu u jagħti eżempju.F’żoni industrijali għandu jkun hemm turbini tar-riħ u pannelli għal ġenerazzjoni ta’ l-elettriku.”

“Fuq nota oħra, mhux sorpriżi li tniġġis tal-arja madwar il-Port il-Kbir instab li huwa ta’ livell għoli ferm. Madwar 250 ruħ imutu kull sena f’pajjiżna minn dan it-tniġġis u fis-sentejn li għaddew dan ikkawża iktar imwiet minn dawk tal-COVID-19. Fl-istess waqt, kif qalu l-kelliema ta’ qabli, iż-żieda ta’ karozzi ġodda fit-toroq tagħna baqa’ għaddej b’ritmu kostanti bla dubju ta’ xejn bl-imbutattura ta’ dawk li jimpurtaw il-karozzi u dawk li jibnu t-toroq. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li ż-żgħażagħ Maltin jfittxu li jitilqu minn pajjiżna għaliex ma jarawx futur hawn, imma tniġġis, bini bl-addoċċ u kwalità tal-ħajja dejjem tmur għall-agħar.”