A number of non-governmental organisations are appealing to MPs to support a Climate Change Bill due to be debated in Parliament next week.

The organisations, led by Friends of the Earth, said that climate change is considered to be one of the most pressing concerns that will be faced by Malta and the EU within the next five to 10 years. According to recent statistics the Maltese electorate is worried about escalating fuel and relative costs such as energy prices and an increase in surcharge rates. A legislation committing the country to a sustainability plan that tackles emissions and renewable energy will have to define strict parameters if Malta is to reach the targets set by EU regulations, they said.

Friends of the Earth is proposing that through the integration of environmentally friendly systems of transport and energy, CO2 emissions are reduced through legally binding commitments to cut emissions year-on-year.

These cuts should be equal to at least a 30 percent reduction of EU-wide domestic emissions by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050. FoE Malta has been collecting signatures for a petition since February and fully supported the Bill as proposed by Labour MP Leo Brincat.

FoE said that more than 2000 letters weresent by concerned citizens to all MPs asking them to commit their support to the new legislation in favour of a strong law tackling climate change. In doing so, Malta’s politicians will be taking the lead and answering the call for a groundbreaking piece of legislation that all political parties should be proud of, it said.

The other NGOs calling for the Bill to be supported are BirdLife, Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Light Pollution Awareness Group, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta and Zminijietna.

Alternattiva Demokratika has also said it backed the NGO's appeal.