Climate change: A culture change

In several major global economies, the environment does not feature high on the list of priorities. Consequently, the world is now paying a heavy price to compensate for decades of carelessness and sheer abandonment. Recently, a worldwide discussion on climate change meant the topic became a high-profile one on the international agenda and attracted the attention it duly deserves. There is universal consensus that, although the damage we have caused to the environment might already be irreparable, a global effort must be made before calamity strikes.

Malta is also committed to reaching the European Union's climate change targets for 2020. For this purpose, last June the Maltese government commissioned a report for a National Strategy for Policy and Abatement Measures Relating to the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The detailed 241-page document outlining a realistic national strategy has just been published for public consultation. After an eight-week period the document will be tabled in Parliament for discussion and, hopefully, there it will be voted in unanimously.

The brief given to the ad hoc Climate Change Committee, chaired by David Spiteri Gingell, was to offer recommendations on how Malta, in keeping with EU directives, was to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20 per cent under the 1990 levels and how to ensure that 10 per cent of energy be generated from clean sources of alternative energy. Moreover, by 2020 Malta is committed not to allow gas emissions to increase to more than five per cent over the 2005 levels in the case of transport, agriculture and waste management.

Many of the 87 recommendations outlined in the report are simple measures that can be adopted without much ado. Others might take some time and major investment to implement. The measures that can soon be introduced would include smart water and electricity meters; differentiated tariffs for non-peak hours; electric buses; energy-friendly constructions and a 75 per cent energy efficiency level in household and office lighting.

Cleaner energy is also of paramount importance, so the government intends closing down the Marsa power station by 2015 and replacing fuel oil by gas by 2015 at Delimara. In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy, major infrastructural recommendations include building a new turbine in Delimara by 2010; an underwater electricity interconnector between Malta and Sicily and further investment to build another interconnector or another turbine at Delimara by 2015, the first being the cheaper option. The wind farm project is also in the pipeline, albeit in its initial stages.

In this year's budget, €50 million have been allocated to offer incentives to industry and to households to invest in alternative energy. But more needs to be done. Among the more complex measures to minimise gas emissions, the Climate Change Committee placed a lot of emphasis on reducing pollution emitted by the private and public transport sector.

No one would quarrel with the fact that traffic is one of the major contributors to air pollution. Apparently, there are 700 cars to every 1,000 persons, making Malta one of the heaviest polluted countries by cars. To top it all, 60 per cent of the school vans on the road are more than 9-10 years old and 90 per cent of tourist coaches are more than 14 years old. One can imagine the negative impact these vehicles are leaving on our health and the environment.

A recommendation to address climate change suggests solving or easing the congestion on our roads, mainly caused by road repairs at peak hours and bottlenecks. In order to minimise traffic jams, the report suggests "staggering the working hours of government employees who work in Floriana and Valletta and the opening and closing hours of state schools".

Nothing in this world comes for free and all the measures necessary to reach the stipulated targets will cost the national coffers €1.21 billion. But this investment might be the best ever for our children, ourselves and our country.

The time for talk is over. Now we must start doing. We have run out of excuses. We must change our mentality and culture, too, if needs be. If we fail to do so, the negative repercussions for us and future generations will be humungous.