Placing the environment at the top of the agenda

True to its electoral promise of placing the environment at the top of the national agenda and its work plan for the next five years, the government, through the budget for next year, has, for the first time ever, put in place a holistic macro plan for the environment.

In previous years and in other documents, White Papers and such initiatives we have been presented with one-off projects which, however, lacked a clear and defined vision and strategy for the environment and sustainable development.

This year's budget has set an important precedent and sent out a clear signal that the environment, global warming and climate change are really a matter of concern and objectives that the government is determined to address.

The paramount emphasis of the announced strategy is based on an accepted international tenet, the polluter pays principle where consumers, in their widest possible definition, have to pay for what they emit into the environment.

The initiatives announced in this budget address various aspects of daily life, starting with the simple plastic bag consumers use for their daily shopping needs down to heavy industrial energy users.

This is the first time ever, as far as I can recall, that such a holistic exercise has been launched and for these specific reasons:

Sustainable development - While advocating growth and economic regeneration, the budget provides key economic players with the right synergies to operate in an environmentally-friendly context where initiatives, such as the energy performance certification prior to the issuance of a development permit, the allocation of €33 million to promote the generation of energy from clean and renewable sources and the provision of €10 million for business and industry to invest in cleaner and sustainable technologies, combined with support for the compilation of energy audits for businesses, are all part of a very clear strategic direction.

Transportation - Knowing very well that one of our primary sources of pollution is the transport sector, the government has embarked on a radical reform of the public transport system and introduced a number of measures for this purpose where even the registration and licensing system of private vehicles has been amended and reformed so that it reflects the actual emissions, primarily the particulate matter, the age and the value of the vehicle, thus enhancing the primary concept of the consumer pays principle.

Joe Citizen - The possibility of exchanging high-consuming/cost domestic lamps for energy-saving ones through a voucher system is not only a far-reaching initiative but one that makes a difference in household expenditure and will go a long way to mitigate the announced increase in the utility tariffs. Other citizen-friendly initiatives are the two-thirds refund on the purchase of solar water heaters, the 50 per cent refund on the purchase price of photovoltaic cells and the 33 per cent assistance for roofing and double glazing schemes. All these are not only targeted to mitigate the switch/purchase to such non-conventional solutions but provide consumers and Joe Citizen with a win-win situation in having a lower energy bill.

The pre-set strategic objective by the government of making Gozo a model for sustainable development by 2015 has also been addressed in the holistic pro-environment strategic orientation contained in the budget and initiatives such as the reform of the public transport service in Gozo, as well as the educational campaigns and the introduction of work practices and technologies to reduce electricity consumption especially on public property, are a step in the right direction.

This budget has truly set the stage for what has to be Malta's future in energy generation and conservation where, through the initiatives announced, not only has the government come up with the first ever national strategic direction of some substance but has put in place those synergies to promote and foster a real culture change in terms of consumption and the source and application of our energy mix.

It certainly provides those wealth creators with the right stimulus to go for change, whereas it provides consumers with energy-saving solutions.

It really is the case of putting one's money where one's mouth is and avoiding the usual rhetoric linked to topics such as the environment.