Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia on Sunday urged eNGOs to continue criticizing the government “until we become the environmental movement we aspire to be.”

Speaking in Naxxar, Farrugia said the environment will truly become a priority.

He referred to the 2013 pre-election billboard that read: ‘So that the environment truly becomes a priority.’

“There were billboards on other sectors too, and while the country achieved great successes in these sectors, the call for a better environment remained, and increased. I can assure you that the 2013 billboard has become my mission statement.”

He said difficult but necessary decisions have been taken over the past few weeks. Farrugia said he had immediately asked for a review of the  Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED), and had given instructions for the revised fuel station policy to be completed and published as soon as possible.

The ministry has also launched a consultation on the ODZ policy.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has seen its enforcement and compliance capabilities strengthened, he said. “ERA should not only be present but also active and proactive, because no one is above the law. ERA now also has a real voice when it comes to development.”

Other efforts have been made on afforestation and urban greening projects.

Turning to the “elephant in the room” – the Maghtab land issue – Farrugia said that a long-term waste management plan will be announced in the coming days. “We will not have management by crisis,” Farrugia said, adding that EU funds are being used to draw up this strategy.

“We will require state-of-the-art facilities to reach our recycling targets. These alone are not enough. There needs to be a change in mentality,” the minister said.

Referring to the “collateral damage” that this project would have, Farrugia said farmers in the area had rightly voiced their concerns.

Turning to climate change, Farrugia said many people still do not understand what its effects are, such as respiratory disease, lack of rain and immigration.

“We have declared an emergency and now we need to start working and taking concrete actions.”

“I do not believe in a fortress mentality,” Farrugia said, referring to certain statements by environmental NGOs. “I urge them to keep criticising us and holding us accountable until we become the environmental  movement that we aspire to be.”