During a European Council meeting held in Brussels in June 2006, the heads of government of all EU member states, including Malta, decided that national sustainable development strategies had to be in place by not later than June 2007 (vide EU General Secretariat document 10917/06 dated June 26, 2006). The Maltese government has not met this deadline as the Malta National Sustainable Development Strategy, though finalised, has not been approved yet.
Considerable effort has been invested in the preparation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy for the Maltese islands. Representatives of NGOs and various government and public authorities laboured for long months within the National Commission for Sustainable Development to produce the document entitled A Sustainable Development Strategy For The Maltese Islands. 2007-2016.
It can be reasonably described as a blueprint and an adequate starting point on the basis of which it is possible to base an integration of economic, environmental and social policies in Malta. The basic point at issue is to understand that economic, environmental and social concerns have to be addressed in tandem and not in isolation. By taking a holistic approach it is possible to ascertain a long-term approach to policy making.
A major stumbling block is that the underlying philosophy of the National Sustainable Development Strategy is diametrically opposed to the traditional way of doing politics. Although parts of the strategy are already being implemented, its raison d'être will encounter difficulties from those who stand to lose through discarding myopic short-termism from the political agenda.
In line with Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration, the National Sustainable Development Strategy emphasises that subsidiarity and access to information are fundamental in implementing this new vision for the 21st century. The emphasis is on participation as distinct from consultation.
Within this context, the EkoSkola project, undertaken in an increasing number of Maltese schools, assumes an extraordinary significance. It affords our children, the masters of the future, the opportunity to appreciate their immediate environment and take the necessary steps to improve it. As a result, it may be possible to ensure that at an early age they realise that through participation all of us can be instruments of change.
Local councils can proceed along similar lines by formulating local policies on the basis of Local Agenda 21. The National Sustainable Development Strategy does not emphasise this approach sufficiently. It is worth pointing out that the Rio Earth Summit, in its document entitled Agenda 21. A Blueprint For Action For Global Sustainable Development Into The 21st Century, reserves a chapter for the role which local authorities should take in environmental matters. This was emphasised because many environmental problems as well as their solutions have roots in local activities: "As the level of governance closest to the people, they play a vital role in educating, mobilising and responding to the public to promote sustainable development" (vide Agenda 21 : para 28.1).
The MLP, in its recently-published collection of policy documents, refers briefly to the functions of the National Commission for Sustainable Development (MLP: Pjan Ghal Bidu Gdid: July 2007, pp. 267-8) but in a rare tacit agreement with the PN it has yet to pronounce itself on the contents of the Strategy.
The National Sustainable Development Strategy presents a challenge to the political parties: That of aligning their policies to their environmental rhetoric! With the exception of the Greens, to date none have had the courage to bridge the gap!
It is time for a radical change. The future is possible if, as a nation, we act in a responsible manner during the present. We need to bring our house in order and ensure that no policy area moves in isolation and, in particular, that economic, environmental and social policy function in tandem. The National Sustainable Development Strategy is thus a blueprint for real change, shaded in green. It should be owned by all, approved and implemented soonest.
The author is an architect and civil engineer specialising in sustainability and environmental management.
cacopardocarm@euroweb.net.mt