Action over climate change

In his article entitled Labour, Elderly And Farmers (September 29) the Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, George Pullicino, who often seems to enjoy it when he wrongly gets referred to as the Minister for the Environment in the media, showed that the Nationalists remain such a partisan lot that they seem to be far more interested in shooting down pro-active and innovative ideas so long as they emanate from the Labour camp rather than in evaluating them on their own merits. Their second option is to either ignore them or else to refrain from committing themselves publicly in favour of them.

A case in point is our proposal for a private members' climate change Bill.

At this stage, all that we ask of the minister is to stand up and be counted and make it clear where he really stands on our proposal, a proposal which was welcomed publicly by the Friends of the Earth and on One TV by the Gaia Foundation and privately by a number of NGOs. One moment he claimed that our proposal was almost identical to what the government had in mind; he then was reported to have said that nothing can be excluded at a later stage; his third retort was that this was too premature a thing to do as of now, while in his media release last Friday, according to the DOI, he stated that "our country and future generations expect facts and firm commitment and not mere statements or private member's Bills". A firm indication that not only does he not see the urgency of a private member's Bill on climate change but also that he does not see the necessity of it.

The minister tried to reassure us that it is blatantly obvious that there is consensus that, once a national strategy is in place, we will need to identify how the measures encapsulated in the strategy are implemented and how accountability can be guaranteed.

We think and argue differently. To show that we really mean business we must first ensure that mechanisms are in place to put citizens' minds at rest that any strategic plan will be implemented.

As things stand, we do not have the slightest inkling as to who will be politically responsible for its implementation or otherwise and who will be held accountable, particularly if certain targets and objectives are not met. We have more than enough strategic documents gathering dust on many a minister's shelf!

If the minister really thinks that we have been passive, sitting on the fence and reluctant to engage, he must be living in cuckoo land! We have been inundated with compliments by people who do not normally see Labour in a positive light for the pro-active and positive stance we have adopted since the new shadow group was appointed by Joseph Muscat on July 5.

Since then I have issued some 20 media statements most of which entailed practical suggestions to the government on various environment-linked issues, including how we can have a more effective environmental and climate change policy. Alas, none of them were even acknowledged or treated seriously. So much for the national consensus Mr Pullicino and his Prime Minister intend to foster! All of a sudden, the PN seems to have become the No Party of Malta.

If Mr Pullicino still thinks that my call for the setting up of a committee of experts in the climate change field is something futile as he himself had implemented a similar measure weeks before, then he has a serious problem. It is a grave problem of being unable to tell the difference between what he did and what we are proposing.

I would like to refer him to my media release of August 18 where I made it clear that the committee of experts we have in mind should be tasked with the formulation of the draft Climate Change Bill. I also stated that it should be set up with the joint approval of the government and the opposition while coordinating its efforts with any existing entities doing similar work.

It is a shame that in the committee that the minister set up there is no one appointed directly by either the corporate sector at an institutional level or else by the NGOs themselves. It is equally shameful that there are no economists on it to assess and gauge the economic cost and impact of climate change. From what I understand, the members were just direct appointees of the minister. In saying so I am in no way trying to attack any of them, particularly the chairman, David Spiteri Gingel, who I have always fully respected.

At one stage, the minister was quoted as saying that he does not want to impose but to listen and consult.

To lead by example he should have made sure that all the stakeholders should have been included in such a committee at an institutional level from the very beginning. As things stand, his committee is made up in its majority of members of government entities and institutions even though, admittedly, climate change will and does impact on their sectors.

I sincerely hope that the minister's commitment to climate change is much stronger than his commitment to transparency and accountability when Mepa formed part of his remit! Alas, we still need to be convinced. As someone recently remarked in private - the minister is over-reacting because he seems to be lost for words and is evidently feeling upstaged by Labour's fresh and forward-looking initiative.

It is a pity that Mr Pullicino is relegating climate change to a partisan political issue even more so when it is not and has never been Labour's intention to do so.

I would like to take this opportunity to make a public appeal to one and all, including the minister, to rise to the occasion and work hard to forge a national consensus on this delicate matter and rectify the Eurobarometer finding that 61 per cent of Maltese citizens interviewed feel that not enough is being done on the local front by the authorities concerned to address the climate change issue.

The best show of solidarity can be given if Minister Pullicino and his colleagues decide to vote for Labour's private member's Bill that we shall table shortly.