Malta’s climate action agenda was raised at United Nations (UN) level by Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, Leo Brincat while addressing a High Level Event on Climate Change held at the UN headquarters at the invitation of the President of the UN General Assembly, as well as during a bilateral meeting with Janos Pasztor, the Assistant Secretary General for Climate Change at the UN.
When Minister Brincat met the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon said that he felt that due to its timing, which coincides with the eve of the Paris Cop 21, and the diverse climate impacts on the numerous Commonwealth states that will be attending the Malta CHOGM, the latter it could not have been planned more appropriately.
In his address at the conference, Minister Brincat said that the timing of this high level New York UN segment could not be more judicious.
While berating the fact that progress in Bonn on climate issues has been far too slow, he called for an acceleration of the negotiation process if we want a deal to be struck in December in Paris.
Minister Brincat said that, together with other EU Member States, Malta has been at the forefront in scaling up mitigation and adaptation measures while being on track to deliver its 2020 climate target, according to the 2008 EU Climate and Energy Package.
He stated that to consolidate Malta’s position at a national level, we have just promulgated a Climate Action Act to fulfil the National Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies and Obligations, while the act will provide the necessary legal framework to support the upcoming National Low Carbon Development Strategy which will further mainstream climate capacity building.