The PN Opposition this evening said it mostly agreed with the Bill on Climate Change presented by the government but insisted that two boards made up entirely of political appointees were not the way to go.
The Bill was presented by Environment Minister Leo Brincat who spoke about how the Mediterranean region is susceptible to the effects of climate change, including temperature rises and droughts. The Minister said the bill stayed away from proposals that look good on paper but are not practical.
The Climate Action Bill will require the government to draw up national strategies for low carbon development and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It also sets up a Climate Action Board and a Climate Action Fund, which will be used to back domestic climate action and provide donations to developing countries.
PN Shadow Minister for Energy, Environment and Transport Marthese Portelli said that aim of the Bill – to provide for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change – is a step in the right direction. However a number of issues should be raised and addressed. “Firstly, I would like to see bigger involvement by the public. The project will inevitably fail if the public does not participate or if it feels that its participation is not making a difference. I would also like to see the civil society being more involved and an effective ling between the Climate Action Board and the Climate Action Fund.
The bill states that the national climate change strategy shall be set up by the minister along with other competent ministers. “I believe that the nature and importance of these strategies require wide public consultation that is not limited to speaking to other ministers. The law should be amended to allow consultation also with the civil society, NGOs and the general public.
Dr Portelli also asked about the composition of the Climate Action Board. The bill says that the board will have a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson and members representing 14 different ministries. Will these be paid, and if yes how much, she asked. The most important point, Dr Portelli said, was that the board was made up purely of political appointees. “If we truly want this board to be an effective one it should also be made up of representatives of eNGOs, climate change and industry experts and Civil Service experts.” The PN Shadow Minister said the same goes for the Climate Action Fund, which is also made up entirely of political appointees.
Lastly, if the government wants this bill to succeed it has to show strong political commitment and lead by example. The government should work on low carbon procurement, the public service should have its own carbon budget and there should be established targets for renewable energy that have to be reached by public entities and departments.
“Malta needs to shift from isolated environmental thematic priorities to an integrated understanding of natural capital. There are many factors that are having an impact on climate change. These include fuel combustion, greenhouse gases, urbanisation, industrial processes, manure management and waste disposal. All these are human-induced and in order to have mitigation and adaptation we need to work on information dissemination, investment, implementation and integration.
We need to have a mechanism that sets holistic targets. The Target Setting Mechanism has to be for periods of a minimum of ten years with the option of reviewing targets every three years. This will not be easy but we can succeed with a collective effort. This is not something for the government alone. We have to rope in and get everyone on board.”
Government Whip Godfrey Farrugia said climate has no borders. This is a subject that requires action and there is consensus in the house. The bill requires transparency and accountability, not only by the government but also by the public.
The world has passed through several climate change cycles over millions of years and the same thing is happening now as a result of the pollution being pumped into the atmosphere.
Is it too late now? We are already experiencing climate changes that include cyclones, and major storms. Climate change can affect agriculture and our most important resource – drinking water. A report he had commissioned when he was minister showed that 14% of illness in Malta was environment-related. The numbers could only increase with the effects of climate change. This was an opportunity to change things, improve the environment and create jobs in what is called the green economy. Education is the key, Dr Farrugia said.
PN Deputy Leader Mario de Marco said the main aims of the bill, especially the aim to instil a sense of responsibility in people, were positive. He said some of the most modern and advanced countries have not always pulled the same rope when it came to climate change. This bill is a positive one but are we taking brave enough steps?
Dr de Marco said Malta, one of the smallest states in the world, was among the countries with the highest number of cars per capita but, on average, vehicles in Malta are older and pollute more.
Dr de Marco said all the board members of the members of the 'Guardian of Future Generations’ had resigned over the government’s lack of support. This is a real loss, he said.
The PN Deputy Leader noted that the government had scrapped the wind farm project. He conceded that the project would have had a visual impact wherever it was placed but one also had to factor in the benefits. Now that the project had been scrapped, the government had to focus on solar farms, which would require many hectares of land in a country where land comes at a premium. These solar farms will also have a visual impact, he said.
He appealed to the government to launch new PV panel schemes for the public and industry. The government should also ensure a level playing field and should not favour Shanghai Electric over local businesses.
Dr de Marco also insisted that if the boards are made up of political appointees – what he called the ‘lunga mano’ of the Prime Minister – then it will be a waste of time. “This cannot be an extension of the government. The board has to be completely objective.” Nine tenths of this Bill is well written but the most important part is weak, he said.
Government backbencher Marlene Farrugia said first the climate inside Parliament needs to be changed into a more positive one and both sides need to work together instead of against each other. The public good should be put before commercial and financial interests, she said. The problem of climate change is similar, in some aspects, to the problem of migration. Some of the bigger countries who are contributing to the problem do not want to contribute to the solution. "We are a small country but we are giving a huge contribution and leading by example in the migration crisis. We could do the same in the climate change issue. Malta can change problems into opportunities."