ADPD – The Green Party reiterates its vision for a clean and green energy transition. Ralph Cassar, ADPD Secretary General said: “The Prime Minister’s recent reference to hydrogen as a fuel source supplied through a new gas pipeline, supposedly proving his government’s green credentials is nothing but a ruse – the technology for clean hydrogen is still in its infancy. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is not clean. The discussion about energy is still stuck in the usual tit-for-tat between the PN and PL about ‘cheap’ energy from a second interconnector, again both are missing the wood for the trees. The way forward is increasing exponentially our local generation of renewable energy from a mixture of sources including solar, wind and wave, and reducing our total dependency on foreign fuel sources.”
“The 2020 National Statistics Office data showing that electricity from photovoltaic systems increased by 20.5% over a year, proves that with a shift in emphasis, from interconnectors and pipelines to renewables, more and more energy can be generated locally, increasing jobs and reducing dependence on foreign sources. It is disappointing that the commercial and public sectors, account for only 5.5% and 0.9% of clean energy. Government should lead the way.”
ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “A post-pandemic recovery strategy is in the offing. We insist that every company, especially the large ones, including: banks, insurance companies and financial sector companies that received or will receive some form of public aid, should be obliged to change their operations concretely, in order that mean global temperature increase is kept below 1.5°C. These plans, based on science, should include clear targets for companies to achieve a zero carbon target as quickly as possible. There should also be investment to improve the electricity distribution system not only to reduce energy losses but also to make it possible to better transmit and distribute a larger volumes of renewable energy generated in residential areas.”
***
Enerġija nadifa għal aktar impjiegi u sigurta’ fil-provista
ADPD – The Green Party jisħaq li l-viżjoni dwar l-enerġija għandha tkun ibbażata fuq enerġija nadifa. Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD Ralph Cassar qal:”Minkejja li l-Prim Ministru qed jgħid li għandu kredenzjali ambjentali għax il-pipeline tal-gass propost ma’ Gela fi Sqallija se jkun jista’ jwassal l-idroġenu lejn Malta, fir-realta din hija biss daħka fil-wiċċ għax it-teknoloġija għal idroġenu minn sorsi nodfa għadha mhix żviluppata. L-idroġenu prodott mill-fuels fossili mhux gass nadif. Id-diskussjoni bejn il-PL u l-PN dwar l-eneġija hija għal darboħra fjakka għax it-tnejn li huma maqbudin f’kompetizzjoni dwar elettriku irħis, minflok jiddiskutu politika enerġetika li twasslana għall-akbar ammont possibbli ta’ elettriku nadif minn sorsi lokali. L-unika triq ‘il quddiem hija li nżidu b’mod massiv il-ġenerazzjoni ta’ enerġija rinovabbli minn diversi sorsi, inkluż dik solari, mir-riħ u anke mill-mewġ. Huwa importanti ħafna li mhux inżidu l-enerġija minn sorsi barranin, iżda li nżidu kemm nistgħu enerġija prodotta lokalment. Huwa ħażin ħafna li niddependu, b’mod qawwi minn l-interconnector.”
“L-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Istatistika ħabbar li l-enerġija solari żdiedet b’20.5% fl-2020 mis-sena preċedenti. Din l-istatistika turi li b’aċċenn aktar qawwi fuq enerġija prodotta lokalment minflok fuq il-fissazzjoni fuq l-interconnectors u l-pipeline tal-gass, nistgħu inżidu ħafna aktar produzzjoni ta’ enerġija rinovabbli, inżidu l-impjiegi fil-qasam u nnaqsu d-dipendenza ta’ pajjiżna fuq enerġija importata. Huwa ta’ diżappunt li s-settur kummerċjali u entitajiet tal-gvern qed jipproduċu biss 5.5% u 0.9% tal-enerġija solari. Il-Gvern għandu jkun fuq quddiem f’dal qasam u jagħti l-eżempju.”
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal: “Bħalissa għadha qed tithejja l-istrateġija tal-gvern għall-irkupru ta’ wara l-pandemija. Ninsistu 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 jkunu 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. Għandu jkun hemm investment biex titjib is-sistema ta’ distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku mhux biss biex jonqos it-telfien tal-elettriku (losses) imma ukoll biex ikun possibbli li din tkun tiflaħ iktar ħalli tittrażmetti volum ikbar ta’ enerġija rinovabbli ġġenerata fiż-żoni residenzjali tagħna.”
