They’ve left us in the dark!

PRESS CONFERENCE 25/07/2023 They’ve Left us in the Dark!

In a press conference in front of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Enterprise, ADPD-The Green Party presented its proposals on the ongoing energy problem, which led to a protest being called on Thursday 27th July at 7pm near Parliament.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci analysed the current issue at hand across Malta and Gozo. “It is evident that the country is on its knees due to continuous power cuts. This means a huge burden on families and businesses. Everyone is affected, but the most affected are the vulnerable who are already crushed by inflation and wages that do not meet their basic needs.”

“Instead of costly massive projects and an economic policy based on overdevelopment and speculation, which led to an overburdened and inadequate infrastructure we demand a wellbeing economy. Corruption in the energy sector has led to expenditure on a power station and abandonment of the electricity distribution network.”

“When it comes to the power cuts, the issue is that we use more energy when it’s hot. There has been an increase of footprint in a plot, from one household to 20 flats due to laissez-faire planning rules. In simple terms, this means you might have twenty times more current being supplied from the same infrastructure – cables – that were used for much less before. In the wider picture, it is the addition of thousands of flats on land that has been available since the 2006 plans that is a contributing factor to the power cuts.”

“The government’s economic policy currently seeks to gain as much as possible from the most vulnerable in society, including the added workers required to keep up with the demand for unbridled development. The government was happy to have cheap labour, but did not plan to adequately meet everyone’s needs.”

“Finally, on a wider scale, we are feeling the effects of climate change. We are in a climate crisis. One government after another has failed to prepare for the effects of this crisis. There are no excuses, the Labour Government have had ten years to act, and instead they have simply ignored the crisis at hand to focus on their own economic gains.”

ADPD – The Green Party PRO Brian Decelis laid out the concrete proposals of the party in the energy sector and related areas. He said that as a Green Party we “recognise that everything is connected to each other, and impact on one another.”

The actions he talked about are;

1.     Malta needs a smart grid! A stronger electricity distribution system will help to make the leap to renewable energy better.

2.     A moratorium on big developments. The construction industry needs to be redimensioned to focus on the modernisation and renovation of buildings, not new builds.

3.     Renovated buildings need to be zero-carbon, this means they generate all the energy that they need. In time all buildings in Malta need to be modernized to become zero-carbon buildings.

4.     Make energy cooperatives a part of the energy plan. These cooperatives will provide for decentralised electricity sources from renewable energy.

5.     Reverse the 2006 rationalisation plan! We need to hasten our pace towards zero-carbon communities and revise the local plans to meet sustainability and zero-carbon targets.

6.     Make research on renewable energy and zero carbon a national priority. This is in view of the climate crisis.

7.     Stop investing in fossil fuel infrastructure. This on both a national and EU level. This includes stopping the gas pipeline project and investing in sustainable alternatives.

8.     Oblige industries to move towards zero carbon operations.

9.     Lead by example! Public buildings need to be modernised, zero-carbon, by generating all the electricity they need.

10.  Shift Malta to a wellbeing economy, one that is not based on the excessive use of natural resources, the exploitation of people, and dependence on imported energy.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Mina Jack Tolu encouraged the public and all those impacted by the power cuts to sign the a petition with ADPD’s 10 concrete actions which will be delivered to Minister Miriam Dalli. Tolu said “It is important to urge the government to take the energy crisis seriously, within a contest of an ecological and social transition towards a zero-carbon economy. The Green New Deal is there to support this transition. We need to see the political will from the government which so far has been lacking.”

Tolu said that ADPD – The Green Party expresses its solidarity with the Enemalta worked who have become the target and victims of a situation that has come about due to the carelessness of Ministers and the Government.

Tolu concluded by appealing to everyone to join with ADPD – The Green Party in the protest against corruption, incompetence and carelessness on Thursday 27th July at 7pm in front of the Parliament in Valletta, and to sign the petition for action on energy, climate change and wellbeing economies.

Protest: https://www.facebook.com/events/306346631768510

Petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/10-action-points-for-improved-energy-policy-in-malta

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Konferenza Stampa 25/07/2023 Ħallewna fid-Dlam! 

F’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem il-Ministeru tal-Ambjent, Enerġija u Intrapriża, il-partit ADPD – The Green Party ressaq il-proposti tiegħu dwar il-problema tal-enerġija li għaddejjin minnha bħalissa u li wasslu biex tissejjaħ protesta għal nhar il-Ħamis, 27 ta’ Lulju fis-7pm, ħdejn il-Parlament.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci spjegat il-problemi ta’ bħalissa. “Huwa evidenti li l-pajjiż jinsab għarkubbtejh b’piż fuq familji u negozji: kulħadd hu milqut, però l-iktar li jħoss l-impatt ta’ dan kollu hu l-vulnerabbli li diġà hu mgħaffeġ bl-inflazzjoni u b’pagi li ma jwasslux biex jindirizzaw il-ħtiġijiet bażiċi tal-ħajja.”

“Minflok proġetti li jinvolvu flejjes enormi u politika ekonomika bbażata fuq żvilupp ta’ bini bl-addoċċ u bla rażan li ma tistax tiġi sostnuta b’infrastruttura bażwija, għandna bżonn ekonomija li tħares lejn il-kwalità tal-ħajja. L-effett tal-korruzzjoni fuq s-sistema tal-enerġija fissret infieq fuq power station imma abbandun tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni.”

“Il-qtugħ tad-dawl qed iseħħ meta tagħmel ħafna sħana għaliex fejn qabel fuq plot kien ikollok dar waħda, issa bil-politika ta’ laissez-faire fl-ippjanar għandek anke 20 flat jew aktar. Mela b’mod sempliċi għandek għoxrin darba aktar kurrent li jrid jiġi mill-cables eżistenti. Biex tkompli żżid, l-art li ngħatat għal bini fl-2006 issa qed tinbena ġmielha, b’eluf ta’ flats. Il-Ministru Dalli stess qalet li hemm bżonn 250 substation ġdida. Mela l-gvern jaf bil-problema imma m’għamel xejn fuqha f’dawn l-għaxar snin li għaddew.”

“Problema oħra relatata hija l-politika ekonomika tal-gvern li tħares biss lejn il-profitti minn fuq dahar l-aktar batuti u vulnerabbli. Filwaqt li l-gvern irid ħaddiema b’irħis, imbagħad naqas milli jipprovdi għall-bżonnijiet ta’ kulħadd.”

“Qegħdin ukoll inħossu l-effetti tal-bidla fil-klima, filfatt qegħdin fi kriżi tal-klima. Għal darba oħra l-gvernijiet, wieħed wara l-ieħor, naqsu milli jilqgħu għall-effetti ta’ dil-kriżi. Dal-gvern m’għandux skużi, ilu għaxar snin jitnikker u ma jagħtix każ il-kriżi klimatika.”

Il-PRO ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Brian Decelis spjega il-proposti konkreti tal-partit fil-qasam tal-enerġija u suġġetti relatati. Qal li bħala partit Aħdar “nagħrfu kif kollox xibka u marbut ma’ xulxin”.

Il-proposti huma:

1.     Għandna bżonn sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku b’saħħitha, anke biex nagħmlu l-qabża meħtieġa għall-enerġija rinovabbli. Pajjiżna għad m’għandux smart grid!

2.     Moratorju fuq żviluppi kbar. L-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni għandha tiġi ridimensjonata u tiffoka fuq modernizazzjoni u rinovar tal-bini.

3.     Il-bini rinovat kollu għandu jiġġenera l-enerġija kollha li għandu bżonn u jkun żero karbonju. Fuq perjodu ta’ żmien, b’għajnuna iffukata lil min għandu bżonn, il-bini kollu għandu jiġi modernizzat biex isir żero karbonju.

4.     Koperattivi tal-enerġija, għal sistema diċentralizzata tal-elettriku minn sorsi rinovabbli biss, għandhom ikunu parti mill-pjan dwar l-enerġija.

5.     Il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizazzjoni tal-2006 għandu jiġi rtirat, u l-pjani lokali għandhom jiġġeddu biex naslu għal komunitajiet żero karbonju b’pass mgħaġġel.

6.     Ir-riċerka fuq l-enerġija rinovabbli u żero karbonju għandha ssir prijorità nazzjonali minflok prijoritajiet oħra li ma jagħmlux sens f’dinja fi kriżi klimatika.

7.     Daqshekk infrastruttura għall-karburanti fossili! Kemm fuq livell nazzjonali, kif ukoll fuq livell Ewropej irridu ninqatgħu mill-karburanti fossili u nimxu lejn futur mingħajr karburanti fossili. Biex nagħmlu hekk il-gvern għandu jwaqqaf il-proġett ta’ pipeline tal-gass u minflok jinvesti l-flejjes kbar f’alternattivi sostenibbli.

8.     L-industrija għandha jkollha obbligi biex timxi lejn operat żero karbonju.

9.     Il-gvern għandu jagħti l-eżempju u l-bini kollu pubbliku għandu jiġi modernizzat u jiġġenera l-elettriku kollu li għandu bżonn.

10.  Irridu nimxu lilhinn minn ekonomija mibnija fuq l-użu intensiv rar-riżorsi, dipendenza fuq enerġija importata u l-isfruttament tan-nies, u nibnu flimkien ekonomija tal-benesseri – wellbeing economy

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Mina Jack Tolu qal li l-pubbliku jista’ jiffirma petizzjoni biex juri l-appoġġ tiegħu għall-proposti ta’ ADPD. Din il-petizzjoni se tintbgħat lill-Ministru Miriam Dalli. Mina Jack Tolu qal “Importanti li nuru li nippretendu li l-gvern jieħu l-kriżi tal-enerġija bis-serjetà, fil-kuntest tat-tranżiżżjoni ekoloġika u soċjali lejn ekonomija u soċjetà żero-karbonju. Il-Patt Aħdar Ewropew huwa ta’ sostenn għal din it-tranżizzjoni. Irridu naraw aktar rieda politika mill-gvern li milli jidher hija nieqsa sew.”

Qal li ADPD – The Green Party jesprimi s-solidarjetà mal-ħaddiema tal-Enemalta li spiċċaw fil-mira u vittmi ta’ sitwazzjoni maħluqa minħabba t-traskuraġni tal-Ministri u l-gvern.

Mina Jack Tolu għalaq billi appella biex in-nies jingħaqdu ma’ ADPD – The Green Party f’protesta kontra l-korruzzjoni, l-inkompetenza u t-traskuraġni, nhar il-Ħamis 27 ta’ Lulju, fis-7pm, quddiem il-Parlament, il-Belt Valletta u biex jiffirmaw il-petizzjoni għall-azzjoni dwar l-enerġija, il-bidla fil-klima u ekonomija tal-benesseri.

Protesta: https://www.facebook.com/events/306346631768510

Petizzjoni: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/10-action-points-for-improved-energy-policy-in-malta

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