During a press conference in Marsa, AD spokesperson on energy and climate change, Samuel Muscat talked about the urgent need for the government to move from words to action regarding climate change.

“All European Union member states must wake up to the urgency of tackling the issue. Malta is in a state of business as usual despite parliament declaring a climate emergency last November. The much trumpeted declaration was just that, empty rhetoric. This is unacceptable, we need to mobilize now, and we need politicians with a vision for a better tomorrow for all. It is very unethical for the government to not act. A lack of action means that current and future generations suffer for the short-term profits of the few.”

“We are experiencing the effects of climate change right now. We are in a three-month drought during the wet season and things will progressively get worse. The latest scientific consensus indicates that we need to move towards carbon-neutrality quickly. A Green New Deal for Malta can make Malta carbon neutral by 2030. It is an ambitious plan but it is possible if there is political will. It would create jobs, increase Malta’s energy independence exponentially and improve the quality of life for all. Both the Maltese ‘National Energy and Climate Plan’ and ‘The National Air Pollution Control Programme’ are a joke. They have very low targets, vague words, and no concrete proposals or binding policies.”

“The move to zero carbon energy sources requires focused and targeted actions. I find it very ironic that government officials are quick to dismiss wind turbines because they would be ‘an eyesore’ when the Planning Authority approves ugliness and eyesores constantly. Offshore floating wind farms were completely dismissed by the government saying they are still too experimental yet there are already working floating wind turbines off the coast of Portugal, for example. The government should be leading by example by installing solar panels on all government buildings, very quickly. It should make all public buildings carbon-neutral. All new building projects should also be required to be carbon neutral.”

AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo talked about transport and mobility. ”Transport is by far the leading cause of GHG emissions in Malta and it’s mainly due to the car-centric policy despite being 14 km across. AD has repeatedly proposed measures to significantly reduce pollution from cars. Proposals include a rapid bus transit system, roads which are inclusive to all not just cars, and pedestrianisation of town cores. This would also reduce the estimated 600 deaths annually from air pollution.”

“When systemic change is required, the government shrugs off its responsibility and rests on individual goodwill. In the meantime it enacts policies which ruins positive initiatives taken by individuals. For instance, though government periodically provides subsidies for roof-top solar panels yet it changes planning policies frequently throwing subsidised solar panels into the shade. Government tells people to use alternative means of transport yet it constructs roads which are suicidal for pedestrians and cyclists. In the meantime it makes microscooter use difficult. It tells people to separate their waste yet fails to oblige industry, hotels and catering establishments to separate and reduce their waste, what’s more it allows the mismanagement of waste treatment facilities and dumps waste in landfills like there’s no tomorrow instead of working towards a zero-waste target.”

A climate emergency has been declared. It’s time to act like it.

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Minkejja l-emerġenza klima, l-bidliet meħtieġa mhux qed isiru

Waqt konferenza stampa l-Marsa, l-kelliem ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika dwar l-enerġija u l-bidla fil-klima, Samuel Muscat qal li hemm bżonn urġenti li l-gvern jgħaddi mill-paroli għall-azzjoni dwar il-bidla fil-klima.

“L-istati membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea, inkluża Malta hemm bżonn li jirrealizzaw li trid tittieħed azzjoni urġenti dwar il-bidla fil-klima. Għalkemm il-parlament Malti, f’Novembru li għadda, iddikjara ‘emerġenza klimatika’, kollox baqa’ l-istess. Il-kelma ‘emerġenza’ mid-dehra tilfet is-sinifikat tagħha għax fil-qasam tal-bidla fil-klima għadu kollox ‘business as usual’. Fejn huma dawk fil-poter? Fejn hi l-viżjoni għal futur aħjar għal kulħadd. Il-gvern mhux qed jieħu r-responsabilitajiet tiegħu lejn il-generazzjonijiet tal-lum u ta’ għada bis-serjetà. Għall-gvern ‘market’ u ‘business friendly’, il-profitti ta’ malajr ta’ xi wħud huma aktar importanti minn azzjoni serja fuq il-bidla fil-klima.”

“L-effetti tal-bidla fil-klima qed inħossuhom issa. Hawn nixfa kbira, tliet xhur sħaħ mingħajr xita, meta suppost qegħdin fl-istaġun tax-xita. L-estremitajiet fit-temp qed jiżdiedu. Ix-xjenza qed tgħidilna biex innaqqsu l-emmissjonijiet tal-karbonju fl-arja malajr. Hemm bżonn Patt Ġdid Aħdar għal Malta biex l-emmissjonijiet netti tal-karbonju jinżlu sa żero sal-2030. Għandu jkun pjan ambizzjuż, imma possibbli jekk ikun hemm rieda politika. Pjan Ġdid Aħdar jżid l-enerġija rinnovabbli b’mod mgħaġġel u jwassal għat-titjib fil-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd. Minflok pjan serju għandna ‘National Energy and Climate Plan’ u ‘The National Air Pollution Control Programme’ mimlijin miri baxxi, bla ambizzjoni u vagi.”

“Għandna bżonn azzjoni biex ikollna sorsi ta’ enerġija nadifa differenti. Għandna bżonn enerġija permezz ta’ turbini tar-riħ. Huwa ironiku li hawn minn jgħid li t-tirbini jidhru koroh filwaqt li l-gvern iħalli kruha ta’ bini bl-addoċċ madwar il-pajjiż kollu. Il-gvern ma jridx li jkun hawn turbini tar-riħ fl-ibħra ta’ madwar il-pajjiż. L-iskuża hi li din it-teknoloġija għadha esperimentali. Dan m’hu vera xejn, fil-fatt hawn diversi eżempji, bħal turbini tar-riħ fil-baħar fl-ibħra tal-Portugall. Il-gvern għandu jagħmel il-binjiet kollha tiegħu ‘carbon-neutral’, u jesiġi li proġetti ta’ bini ġdid ukoll ikunu ‘carbon-neutral’.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta ’AD Carmel Cacopardo tkellem dwar it-trasport u l-mobilità. “It-trasport huwa sors ewlieni emissjonijiet ta’ gassijiet serra f’Malta, dan għax il-politika ta’ gvern wara ieħor kienet u għadha ċċentrata fuq il-karozzi minkejja li d-distanzi f’Malta huma żgħar. AD ripetutament ipproponiet miżuri biex tnaqqas b’mod sinifikanti t-tniġġis mill-karozzi. Il-proposti jinkludu sistema tal-linja ‘Bus Rapid Transit’, toroq siguri u inklussivi għal transport nadif, u pedestrijanizzazzjoni tal-qalba tal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna. Dawn il-miżuri għandhom inaqqsu s-sitt mitt mewt kull sena mit-tniġġis tal-arja. ”

“Meta tinħtieġ bidla sistemika, il-gvern minflok jerfa’ r-responsabbiltà tiegħu qed jistrieħ fuq ir-rieda tajba tal-individwi. Imma anke l-individwi isibu li l-gvern irendi l-inizjattivi tagħhom ineffettivi. Pereżempju, għalkemm il-gvern perjodikament jipprovdi sussidji għall-pannelli solari, spiss biddel l-politika tal-ippjanar biex jiżdied l-għoli tal-bini, b’bosta individwi jispiċċaw bil-pannelli tagħhom fid-dell. Il-Gvern jgħid lin-nies biex jużaw mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport iżda fl-istess nifs jibni toroq perikolużi għal min jimxi u għaċ-ċiklisti. Sadanittant jaglmel ukoll l-użu tal-microscooters ferm diffiċli. Il-Gvern jgħid lin-nies biex jisseparaw l-iskart tagħhom iżda jonqos milli jobbliga lill-industrija, lukandi u stabbilimenti tal-catering biex jisseparaw u jnaqqsu l-iskart tagħhom. Aktar minn hekk jippermetti t-tmexxija ħażina tal-faċilitajiet ta’ trattament tal-iskart, minflok jaħdem bis-serjetà lejn il-mira ta’ żero skart.”

Ġiet dikjarata emerġenza klimatika. Issa wasal iż-żmien biex il-gvern jgħaddi għall-azzjoni.