Friends of the Earth (FOE) Malta has welcomed the commitment shown by EU leaders to fight climate change.

Three major aims are to be achieved by 2020: a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 20 per cent of the levels registered in 1990, the provision of 20 per cent of EU primary energy from renewable sources of energy, with 10 per cent of biofuels being used for road transport, and an exhortation urging each member state to reduce energy waste by 20 per cent.

The lack of sector targets for the overall GHG cuts made the provision much weaker than it sounded, said FOE.

“For instance, marine and aviation GHG emissions are not usually included in national GHG accounts. With the aviation sector being the fastest-growing GHG emitter, recently announced plans for European airport expansion could tear the target to shreds,” it said, asking how these measures would affect Malta.

“The EU has already warned us that our latest request for CO2 emissions (2.9 million tonnes over 2008-2012) is too high. We have been asked to make a 0.8 million tonne cutback. Our first answer is that we will fight,” they said.

FOE pointed out that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had mentioned a connection to the European grid. However, they added, the value of this would clearly depend on the Sicilian source of electricity feeding a Malta-Sicily cable.

Changing the generation fuel to natural gas, as Enemalta indicated recently, would have a significant effect on GHG emissions but providing gas or liquid fuel would take time, money and effort, FOE said.