Prime Minister Robert Abela's pledge that by 2030 a quarter of Malta's generated energy will come from renewable sources is, on paper, welcome. Any commitment to accelerate the country's painfully slow transition towards cleaner energy deserves acknowledgement. But after years of delay, false starts and unfulfilled promises, the only honest reaction is a cautious one: we will believe it when we see it.

Malta has once again found itself at the bottom of the European Union ranking for renewable electricity generation. While the European average stands at 47%, Malta is languishing at just 17%. This is not a marginal gap. It is an embarrassing gulf. It places Malta firmly among the laggards at a time when the rest of Europe is moving forward with urgency and purpose.

The Prime Minister spoke of a "holistic" 25-year plan, of investing further in solar and wind energy, and of opening access to renewable energy even to those who cannot install panels on their own rooftops. These are all sensible ideas. But sensible ideas alone are not enough. Malta has heard them before.

For too long, governments have spoken about offshore wind, about harnessing the sea, about transforming the energy mix. Yet wind farms in particular have remained little more than a talking point. Study after study has been commissioned. Announcements have been made. Deadlines have drifted. And the result is there for all to see: Malta is still at the bottom.

The Labour Party is right to point out that renewable generation was far lower in 2013, standing at just 2.8%. Progress has undeniably been made, and incentives for solar installations have helped push the figure upwards. But this cannot become an excuse for complacency. Moving from 2.8% to 17% over more than a decade is not insignificant, but it is still far from enough in the context of the climate emergency, Europe's shifting energy landscape and Malta's own economic future.

Indeed, the fact that Malta remains last despite 13 years of Labour governance underlines the scale of the failure. If anything, it makes the latest promise more politically convenient than reassuring. With electoral considerations never far from the surface, the suspicion that this may be as much about optics as it is about policy is unavoidable.

That is why this issue must rise above party politics. Malta cannot afford another cycle of promises made in rallies and forgotten in office. The country needs a serious, binding and transparent national energy strategy that spans years, not electoral terms. It must be robust enough to survive changes in government and credible enough to inspire public and investor confidence. Most importantly, it must be endorsed across the political divide.

The Opposition is right to demand urgency, just as Labour is right to point out that progress has been made. But finger-pointing alone will not generate a single extra kilowatt of clean energy. What Malta needs now is a concerted national effort: accelerated offshore renewables, faster deployment of community and shared solar systems, long-delayed infrastructure delivered on time, and a clear timetable against which the government can be judged.

The Prime Minister says the people will see a government that looks to the future and protects the young. If that is truly the case, then this cannot remain another headline-grabbing pledge. Malta has already wasted too many years. The time for speeches has passed. The time for delivery is now.