The PN has called for the increase in government subsidies for hybrid and electric vehicles.
PN spokesperson for transport, mobility and capital projects Adrian Delia and PN spokesperson for climate change Eve Borg Bonello condemned the government for stopping subsidies to incentivize the purchase of hybrid cars.
It said that in the President’s speech at the opening of this year’s Parliament, the government promised to prioritise the environment and the fight against climate change, and this is not being fulfilled.
It is calling for not only for these subsidies to continue to be provided, but for them to be increased and extended, especially in the wake of the climate change crisis, and especially in a country where the government and the opposition have declared a climate emergency in parliament on 22 October 2019.
“Prominent scientists warned that in the next five years, we should expect a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius,” the party said.
It said that due to the harsh summers Malta experiences, the threat of climate change can mean severe storms, extinction of diverse species, higher sea levels and alarming desertification.
“The government must take assertive and proactive action, in order the achieve the European goals of decarbonising the economy and infrastructure,” the party said.
It added that cars in Malta create a huge amount of emissions which is causing devastation for the natural environment, but also causing high rates of air pollution.
“Eurostat's worrying statistics show that the Maltese people are already the most exposed to pollution in Europe,” the PN said.
The opposition is ready to support and help the government reduce its CO2 emissions by helping citizens with incentives for clean cars, it said.