Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) urged the authorities to follow scientists’ advice for concrete action to be taken with regard to cleaner energy sources, not only because of climate change but also as a means to improve air quality, people’s health and to reduce the country’s total dependence on fossil fuels, in St Julian’s, yesterday.

Alternattiva Demokratika Youths together with Moviment Graffitti, Zminijietna –Voice of the Left, and Fair Trade Cooperative (Koperattiva Kummerc Gust) organised an activity entitled “Act Now” calling for international action on climate change in the light of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit.

AD spokesperson for industry, energy and transport Ralph Cassar talked about a study, carried out by a Malta-based scientist, which shows that despite Prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi’s rhetoric, Malta is still far from reaching the EU target of reducing emission levels and achieve the 10 per cent of energy generated from renewable sources by 2020.

Mr Cassar said that the lack of vision in this area is incredible. Words come cheap but action is sorely lacking. The Prime Minister is showing no leadership when it comes to taking the necessary steps to wean Malta off its total dependence on oil.

An immediate measure can be the installation of solar water heaters on 50,000 houses throughout Malta and Gozo and the freezing of building heights to ensure that solar equipment can be installed without the fear that adjacent buildings do not shadow this equipment because of changes in planning regulations.

A Maltese scientist has shown that to reach the EU set targets, Malta has to at least generate 41 to 260 GWh per year from on-shore and off-shore wind power. Malta also has to push the use of solar water heaters in all homes by 25 to 50 per cent, which translates into a 60 to 120 GWh/year energy savings. Photovoltaic panels on 10 per cent of homes and other buildings could generate 54GWh/year. Two per cent could be generated from organic waste and five per cent from locally produced bio-diesel originating from waste vegetable oils. Only if these targets are achieved will Malta reach its renewable energy targets, reiterated AD.

“It is clear that as things stand Malta will not reach its targets. Enemalta lacks credibility, and government policy regarding energy generation is, to say the least, baffling. The choice of ‘dirty’ energy at the Delimara power station is a case in point. The same can be said for the lack of action to introduce a feed-in-tariff system. Yet again, sustainable development is being used mainly as a buzzword, and not as the basis for a clear policy framework. Unfortunately, our bigger political parties often have a short-time horizon and climate change issues have longer-term aspect impacts, and this may be one reason why such issues are often put on the back burner in Maltese politics. If we seriously wish to address these issues we should mainstream sustainable development and climate change in our national plans and policies, and take all the steps necessary to implement and enforce measures that are conducive to a better and more sustainable quality of life,” commented AD chairman Michael Briguglio.

The organisations expressed their concern on the outcome of the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit, which remains uncertain.

AD highlighted that unfortunately, a complete and binding legal UN treaty on climate change to follow on from the first period of the Kyoto protocol (post-2012) will not be finalised in Copenhagen.

Meanwhile, NGO Zminijietna – Voice the Left highlighted its belief that political change is the best tool to combat climate change in the light of various environmental, humanitarian, solidarity and peace movements, as well as trade unions, parties and movements from the left and the greens who were on the streets of Copenhagen to demonstrate and pressure on the major countries to commit their second task to the treaty of Kyoto.

The current economic system based on the maximisation of profit will lead to further environmental destruction, inequality, deforestation, high poverty and dismantling of workers’ rights, said Zminijietna.

As part of its input to the solution, Zminijietna appeals to the European Parliament Members to work for a social and ecological Europe. At the same time the NGO urged the Maltese government to invest in the use of gas to operate the national energy system in Malta, which is more environmentally friendly.

According to the Fair Trade Cooperative spokesperson Gregory Ellul, “While people in rich countries think that climate change is an important issue, they don’t see it as an immediate threat. The same cannot be said for people who live in poor countries who are closer to the natural elements than people in rich countries.”