43 new firms dealing in renewable energy

Climate change created economic opportunities with 43 new companies dealing in renewable energy registered in the past three months, Resources Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.

The cost of doing nothing on climate change was far greater than the expenditure required to cut greenhouse gases, Mr Pullicino argued, but as things stood traditional energy sources were still cheaper.

He was speaking at a debate, featuring representatives from the four political parties, organised by Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin about climate change and its effects on employment.

Speaking on the utility tariffs, Mr Pullicino said it was in the workers' interest to pay for the actual price of water and electricity instead of paying indirectly through taxes for government subsidies.

In the prevailing situation, workers who were declaring their income were paying the difference in price for those who did not.

A more sceptical perspective on climate change was given by Azzjoni Nazzjonali, which believed the issue was being used to advance certain social and economic ideals underhandedly.

AN's spokesman John Spiteri Gingell, who happens to be the brother of the man who heads the government's climate change committee David Spiteri Gingell, said scientists were still undecided on climate change.

Governments should not try to turn back the clock on climate change "at all costs" and at the detriment of a free market.

Climate change was a good excuse to centralise power and politicians should be wary of this, he added.

On the other hand, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesman Carmel Cacopardo said climate change was a very real problem but one that would also generate new jobs.

The government should opt for an ecological economy, where all decisions were seen in relation not only to their social and economic impacts but also to the effect they had on the environment and the importance of sustainable development.

He argued that, although the government had introduced some green measures in the budget, many of these were half-hearted and would therefore be unsuccessful. For example, before introducing a new car tax to penalise old and fuel-guzzling vehicles, there should have been a complete reform of public transport to provide people with an alternative.

The Labour Party's spokesman on the environment, Leo Brincat called for a detailed study on how climate change would affect employment.

In a recorded address, filmed in advance as he was unable to attend, Mr Brincat said that, although some sectors like tourism would suffer, the government should strive to attract alternative energy industries to Malta in the same way it had attracted those in IT and pharmaceuticals. This could lead to a Green Revolution and the introduction of green jobs, such as those specialising in the manufacturing and maintenance of energy saving appliances.

He called for more investment to exploit this new wave in order to have a positive impact on the country.