Climate change by definition is a process which may be caused by a number of factors including natural, be it geologic, oceanographic and atmospheric events and human-induced factors, the most relevant of which is the emission of greenhouse gases through human processes such as burning of fossil fuels. Can we tell if the constant barrage in the media to combat climate change is not another hoax like the millennium bug? It is an undeniable fact there has been an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations and other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide caused by our activities - mainly due to the explosion in car ownership, not to mention more heavy industry. There is undeniable evidence that carbon dioxide has been on the increase over the past two decades.
Readers might think this is another article extolling the benefits of clean air resulting from massive new investment in plants generating Green energy - the truth is that our lack of success in reducing the national carbon footprint is undoubtedly contributing to climate change. Between 1990 and 2007 our greenhouse gas emissions increased by almost 50 per cent. It is time to start reducing such emissions in order to mitigate the effect of climate change. It is vital that each individual in our society is involved in this process and that everyone does something to reduce the impact of climate change. Only then can we protect our environment, society and economy, and only when each individual gets involved can we safeguard a better and safe future for future generations.
There have been various conferences and press releases by the EU extolling the benefits of Renewable Energy Systems and various attempts were made by Brussels to propose ambitious goals for member states to step up their investment in Green energy. The target is that by 2020, the EU will obtain 20 per cent of its total energy consumption requirements from renewable energy sources. Malta has so far been a laggard in this regard albeit steps have been taken to correct it. Renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydroelectric and tidal power as well as geothermal energy and biomass.
From studies published by the EU, one notes that Germany is ahead of other countries. It has invested the highest amount in this sector and claims to be the world's first major renewable energy economy (in 2010, investments totalled €26 billion). According to official figures, some 370,000 people in Germany were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2010, and it is no surprise to discover that most companies benefitting from this sector are small- and medium-sized companies.
Certainly, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Mediterranean have increased along with the atmospheric concentrations which are giving us colder winters and higher humidity in summers. All lines of evidence taken together make it unambiguous that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is human induced and is predominantly a result of fossil fuel burning. It is a fact that greenhouse gases when controlled can serve a useful purpose as they absorb infrared radiation from the Sun and re-emit it in all directions. This natural greenhouse effect primarily results in creation of water vapour and resultant carbon dioxide which functions like a shield to protect the Earth surface; without it, the mean surface temperature would be intolerable. Thanks to this shield, we enjoy a habitable average temperature.
We also have the issue of the rise in sea levels. It is estimated that over this century there will be a sea-level rise of between 0.18 and 0.69m. In the case of Malta, this is of major concern because a substantial quantity of land in severe climate change will cause it to be permanently submerged under water. The east coast will be particularly hit, especially low-lying areas such as Sliema, Gżira and Msida, among others. As it happens, another important aspect is that unfortunately major infrastructure and road networks, as well as some of the most vital economic and industrial areas are situated close to the shore. It goes without saying that sea-level rise will particularly affect our economy. It begs the question why Malta with good exposure to rays of the sun has still not succeeded to increase production of electricity to EU levels from use of photovoltaic panels. Can it be a pure coincidence that prices for PV equipment have been dropping; for example, prices for solar modules in Germany dropped from €3 to €1 per peak watt.
Awareness of the benefits of using such technology in Malta has changed since the arrival of Shanghai Electric, which in the near future will reputedly invest a massive amount in PV panels linked to the national grid. By definition, a solar cell is the elementary building block of the photovoltaic technology and research in new technology has been making giant steps by testing new prototypes made of semiconductor materials such as silicon. This makes them highly conductive and in turn uses ingenious ways how to capture the energy of the sun and convert it to electricity through an inverter.
The solutions to the problem can be various but surely the demographic and geographic characteristics of the island create issues of spatial planning, given that Malta is a very small and densely populated state. Regrettably, in the past there was no political will to face the situation. As regards installation of solar panels, it is not all gloom and doom. Having started from zero in 1995 there has been a huge leap in the number of rooftop installations to date. Official statistics indicate that PV has grown at an average yearly rate of 35 per cent from 1995 to 2005 (1,8 kW to 40 kW) and of 63 per cent between 2005 and 2010. Ask any architect and he will point out that spatial planning takes into consideration the issue of devoting open areas to renewable energy systems (RES) that often clash with other planning needs and for this reason large-scale RES installations are not practical in Malta. All this suggests that stricter rules should be imposed and that lip service should be converted into action because evidence showed that self- regulation is not enough. It seems that Malta is struggling to improve the culture of the local business community towards a greener economy.
In conclusion, can the environment minister succeed in catching up with other EU states and achieve the desired target of 20 per cent of total energy sourced from non-fossil fuels by 2020 -the impossible we do now, miracles can wait.
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The writer is a partner in PKF, an audit and business advisory firm.