Editorial

The EU Environmental Agency's study of carbon emissions shows that Malta is one of the member states with the highest growth in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2006, Malta's emissions were 45 per cent higher than in 1990 (the base year for calculation), running directly counter to the EU's strategic objective of cutting global greenhouse gas emissions by eight per cent over 1990 levels.

Although Malta is not obliged to abide by the Kyoto Protocol - and it could be argued that its contribution is in any case infinitesimal compared with other member states - the country still has a moral responsibility to play its full part in reducing emissions in the battle to combat climate change. Perversely, however, the data shows Malta is moving in the opposite direction.

Yet again on an issue of environmental importance, Malta is one of the laggards of Europe. Why? The answer is rather simple. The government has been tardy in facing up to this problem. The major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Malta are the two fossil-fuel burning power plants at Marsa and Delimara. Steep increases in emissions have been caused by higher domestic energy demand on these electricity-generating plants, which can even be considered to be antiquated and inefficient, certainly by today's standards. Moreover, Malta lags behind all other EU countries in electricity production from renewable sources. If no remedial measures are taken on both these issues - the replacement of the existing power plants and the drive towards renewable energy - Malta's carbon emissions will continue to rise.

What can Malta do about it?

On the replacement or enhancement of the power plants, action is belatedly in hand, although the speed of implementation does not appear to match the urgency of the situation. As The Times has repeatedly urged, energy security (together with water security) is absolutely fundamental to the country's future economic well-being. The energy supply is already operating close to capacity. The need to underpin it by connecting to the European grid, via an under-sea cable link to Sicily, as proposed by the government, is now urgent not only to produce cleaner energy but also to ensure future sustainability.

But this in itself will not suffice. The country will have to replace the existing plants with more efficient generation. The Marsa power station must be decommissioned by 2012. Enemalta plans to install an additional 100MW of fossil fuel-generating capacity. Another project under consideration is the installation of a gas pipe-line or gas storage plant. These immediate plans therefore depend on installing yet more fossil fuel capacity, hardly what the EU is trying to achieve, which is a low-carbon society.

Malta's bid to connect to the European grid - at a big expense - should not, therefore, serve as an excuse not to fully embrace the challenge - very urgent, some would hasten to add - of exploitation of renewable energy. It can only be part of the answer and still leaves Malta vulnerable to fossil fuels for part of its energy supply and dependent on other countries for the rest. This is not an ideal situation to be in.

Welcome as the announcement is that an offshore windfarm will be developed at Sikka l-Bajda, the government must tackle the need for energy diversity, especially in the renewable energy field, with greater commitment. The crisis in the international financial markets and, on the home front, the proposed hike in water and electricity tariffs risk pushing this debate down on the national agenda. That cannot be allowed to happen for, as has been noted not too long ago, the cost of non-action is too high to ignore.