The world is awaiting the publication of the third and final volume of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which takes place in Bangkok today. The report focuses on the mitigation of climate change by limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove them from the atmosphere. Francesca Vella reports
The IPCC report entitled Mitigation of Climate Change, analyses mitigation options for the main sectors in the near-term and also addresses cross-sectorial matters such as synergies, co-benefits and trade-offs. It also provides information on long-term mitigation strategies for various concentration stabilisation levels.
Some 2,000 top inter-national scientists and officials from 180 countries will meet in Bangkok today to finalise and launch the report.
They will lay out how the world can avert the worst impacts of rising global temperatures on life on earth – with technology, and, more importantly, political will.
This will be the third and final volume of the scientists’ latest assessment on climate change since the formation in 1988 of the IPCC, a UN panel to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding human-induced climate change.
Scientists estimate that greenhouse gases that contribute to the world’s rising temperatures – such as methane, nitrous oxide and, chiefly, carbon dioxide – have jumped by 70 per cent between 1970 and 2004.
The two previous IPCC reports predicted a gloomy future in which unabated greenhouse emissions could drive global temperatures up by as much as six degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
Even a two degrees Celsius rise could subject up to two billion people to water shortages by 2050 and threaten extinction for 20 to 30 per cent of the world’s species, the IPCC said.
The new report says that emissions can be brought below current levels if the world shifts away from carbon-heavy fuels like coal, embraces energy efficiency and significantly reduces deforestation.
Malta to ‘help’ cut greenhouse gas emissions, but is this enough?
Last month, WasteServ Malta Ltd announced that Malta’s first clean development mechanism (CDM) project will soon be up and running.
The project will involve gas collection from the Ta’ Zwejra landfill.
CDM is one of three “flexible mechanisms” to reduce carbon dioxide emissions established under the Kyoto Protocol, the others being Joint Implementation and Emissions Trading.
Under the convention, the so-called Annex 1 countries – most of the countries in Europe – have agreed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to an overall five per cent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.
Since Malta is classified as a non-Annex 1 country in the Kyoto Protocol, and its emissions may appear to be insignificant globally, by means of the CDM it will be cutting emissions on a voluntary basis.
By collecting methane from landfills, in this case Ta’ Zwejra, Malta will be accumulating a number of carbon credits that will then be traded off to Annex I countries.
Carbon credits are a means of trying to reduce emission in the most cost-effective way possible. It is estimated that about 19,000 credits will be accumulated from the collection of methane from Ta’ Zwejra every year.
It will then be possible for these credits to be sold on the carbon futures market – a kind of stock market – and the funds generated will be used by WasteServ for some of its expensive equipment at the engineered landfills.
Rising sea levels ‘poisoning Malta’s ground water with salt’
While one of the main effects of rising sea levels in Malta will be the possible disappearance of some of the island’s beautiful low-lying beaches, such as Ghadira, Ghajn Tuffieha and Golden Bay, the impact on the
supply of ground water is of particular concern.
A recent BBC report by environment reporter Matt McGrath said that Malta is “highly vulnerable to climate change”.
The report said that the effects of the increasing salinity in the water supply are already being felt in some parts of the island. While the water in the Ta’ Kandja galleries is fresh, just 10 metres below it is salty. The rising water levels will result in salty water being closer to the bore holes from where water is extracted for irrigation.
The lack of rain further contributes to increased salinity and such water cannot be used for irrigation, as it can cause extensive damage to crops and trees.
Rising sea levels are therefore “poisoning Malta’s ground water with salt”, according to the BBC report, and while the authorities are investing in desalination systems to make sea water drinkable, with more than half the potable water now produced in this way, desalination plants contribute significantly to global warming as they are powered by fossil fuels.
Maltese islands at particular risk
According to a report prepared by members of the Malta Climate Change Project, which was the first national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there is a 50 per cent probability that the temperature will increase by three degrees Celsius by 2100.
Annual total precipitation may also increase by 17 per cent by that time, with a relative reduction in autumn and an increase in spring. Climatic changes will affect the environment and, consequently, socio-economic activities, the report added.
Expected impacts include the deterioration of potable water supplies and quality, more frequent extreme weather events, changes in soil erosion and an accentuated desertification process, threats to public health, changes in sea water mass characteristics and effects on fish stocks, a rise in the sea level leading to coastal erosion and inundation, reduced biodiversity and moderate to moderately high economic vulnerability.
In line with Malta’s classification as a non-Annex 1 country under the Kyoto Protocol, the report acknow-ledged that while Malta, along with other small states, cannot be considered as a main culprit of climate change, it is more likely than larger countries to suffer the consequences of climate change.
This alone is a reason for each and every individual to act, in an effort to safeguard Malta’s beautiful coasts, animal and bird species and, ultimately, the livelihood of future generations.
Interconnection to European grid by 2012
Enemalta Corporation chairman Alex Tranter announced last week that, due to the increasing demand for energy in Malta, as a result of large developments such as SmartCity Malta and Pender Gardens, for example, the corporation will have to increase its generating capacity in future years.
A major project will be the connection of the Maltese island’s grid to that of Sicily, thus linking Malta to the European electricity grid.
This will allow the country to purchase electricity from European countries that generate electricity from renewable sources of energy. The grid will have to be in place by 2012, when the old Marsa power station will have to be closed down.
The corporation is also investing in its first renewable energy systems. These include two photovoltaic installations on two of the corporation’s district offices, as well as a wind energy experiment.
The latter will involve the installation of a three kilowatt turbine that will be set up on a five-metre pole in Marsa. It will have the capacity to generate electricity to supply an average household. The project is intended as a means of studying possibilities for the use of electricity generated from wind energy in the Maltese islands.
Such renewable sources of energy are indispensable for a country that is almost 100 per cent dependant on oil, according to the European commissioner responsible for energy, Andris Piebalgs, who was in Malta on a flying visit last week.
Although Enemalta Corporation will be carrying out an experiment on a small wind turbine this summer, a report issued by a consultancy group regarding the feasibility of onshore wind farms showed that only small pockets of land could be used for the installation of these turbines and these would only generate one per cent of the amount of energy the country requires.
As for the tapping of offshore wind energy, the government has analysed bids received for the development of an offshore wind farm with a final capacity of between 75 and 100 megawatts. Last week, Resources and Infrastruc-ture Minister Ninu Zammit said that the government is studying the question of anchoring the turbines.
Once in place, the turbines will generate about 10 per cent of the country’s energy requirements.
Government schemes for
a cleaner atmosphere
• A 15.25 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm50) on the cost of solar water heater equipment
• A 15.25 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm500) on the cost of electric vehicles
• A 25 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm100) on the cost of thermal insulation in ceilings
• A 20 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm500) on the cost of purchase and installation of photovoltaic systems, as well as a Lm250 subsidy on every additional kWp installed
• A 20 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm100) on the cost of purchase and installation of wind turbines
• A 20 per cent subsidy (maximum Lm50) on the cost of certain energy efficient appliances
• An exchange system will be applicable for anyone who has installed a domestic system that generates energy from renewable sources. Whenever the amount of energy generated is more than that consumed, the government will buy the excess energy at 3c for every unit generated.
Since the schemes were launched in last year’s budget, the Malta Resources Authority has received about 4,000 applications.
Photovoltaic systems have been installed on the rooftops of a number of ministries and government departments. The systems installed so far have a total capacity of 68 kWp, which translates as a reduction of about 95 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Other government initiatives include the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee on climate matters and considerable investment in the reduction of landfill emissions.
The government is also investing in systems with the ultimate aim that one third of organic waste will be processed biologically.
The electricity generated by this process will be sufficient for 1,400 households every year.
Further information about the government schemes for people wishing to invest in environment-friendly systems is available from the Malta Resources Authority on 2122-0619 or by visiting www.mra.org.mt