'EU targets to be reached by 2012'

Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt has assured Parliament that the 20 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions would be reached in 2012 - three years earlier than the deadline imposed by the EU - and this from the electricity-generating process alone.

Speaking during the debate on climate change, Dr Gatt said that the commissioning of the new power station at Delimara in 2011 would reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000 tonnes because 140 megawatts would not be produced by the Marsa plant. A year later, when Malta hooked up with the interconnector in 2012, there would be a further reduction of 600,000 tonnes as the Marsa power station would be closed down.

He emphasised that the total reduction in CO2 emissions would amount to just over 1.1 million tonnes, which alone was the 20 per cent target established by the EU.

"I want to assure the opposition - even if I am talking to empty benches - that these targets are deliverable by 2012 and not 2015," he said.

The government aimed at going beyond this and would buy green energy from other countries, thus giving Malta a certificate of green energy with which it could trade.

Dr Gatt criticised the opposition's insistence on the use of gas at the new power station. This, he said, would require at least €200 million more just to build the gas pipeline between Malta and Sicily.

He compared the ratings of the two main contenders for the new power station tender and noted that the rating of the BWSC equipment was 0.576 while that of Bateman was 0.556 - a difference of "a mere 0.02".

The use of gas would have lead to a 15 per cent increase in tariffs, he said, expressing surprise that opposition spokesman on climate change Leo Brincat had not even addressed the issue of the new power station when addressing the House earlier in the day.

Dr Gatt said the government not only had a plan, but it was already implementing it. It was currently awaiting the development permit for the extension to the power station and would continue with the process of interconnecting with Sicily.

He was confident that once these targets would be reached in the electricity sector, other sectors, such as transport, would follow suit.

Transport remained the second biggest sector contributing to CO2 emissions.

With some 200,000 private cars and a considerable number of commercial vehicles, Malta had the highest density in the world per square kilometre of roads available. CO2 emissions in the past three years had increased by 14 per cent, but concentration of emissions was focused more on certain places and to particular emissions. Gozo and the north of Malta had few problems with the quality of air, with the exception of Mosta and Attard. Dr Gatt stressed that the document quoted by Mr Brincat had been issued for consultation and feedback was still being received.

Air quality difficulties within the transport sector reflected present-day reality with the frequent daily use of private transport. A culture change was required to ensure that targets were reached. Short of such a culture change, stricter enforcement measures would be required, including the consideration of introducing tariffs for the use of private cars in certain areas, similar to the Valletta system.

Minister Gatt said that on Tuesday he had met the stakeholders in the transport sector to further discuss the public transport reform, and was convinced that this issue would be brought to a successful conclusion.

The government acknowledged the challenges offered by climate change and the reduction of emissions, and was determined to address them.

Earlier, Nationalist MP Philip Mifsud said developed countries were taking climate change seriously and trying to meet imposed goals. Less-developed countries were still blaming other countries for the situation. In any case, every country must strive to reach its goals.

It was satisfying that the 96-item document started out to speak of mentality.

A change of culture was needed to do things not because they were imposed but out of true belief, even in spite of slightly-greater outlay. Nobody should think that their little departures from the objectives would not do much harm to the whole.

The Resources Ministry should continue with its public awareness campaign on climate change.

Mr Mifsud said that over the years Malta had lost much of the age-old, year-round thermal protection systems in its buildings. Property owners and developers alike should be re-educated into thinking that seeming to save some space or expenses would be counter-effective in the long run.

The agricultural sector too could play an active role and be an example to other sectors, especially through the scheme introduced last year for incentives to install energy-saving measures. The system seemed to have been successful.

The 12 formal feedbacks received to the draft document did not include the opposition's.

He said it was easy for one to criticise in the House, but the opposition could and should have done its part well before the debate.

Continuing the debate yesterday, opposition spokesman on resources Joe Mizzi said that although Malta was in the forefront on climate change in international fora, the government had always been very late in acting.

Main contributors to pollution were the power station and transport. Because the government had taken no action over the last 20 years the citizen would have to pay dearly within the next five years. The situation had already reached crisis point.

The government had not taken action on suggestions he had made to introduce alternative energy sources, to make solar panel heaters compulsory, to increase efficiency in energy generation, to switch off a number of street lamps, to store electrical energy for industry to use during the night, and to collect more rainwater.

Mr Mizzi praised the national strategy document, adding that the same expert who had made this report had been commissioned by the 1996 Labour government to set up a report on the energy sector and the power station together with recommendations for the following 10 years. The report had been approved by the Nationalist government in 1998 but nothing else had been done. There was another government report before the last election which highlighted the energy crisis, but still nothing had been done.

Referring to the Delimara power station, he said that in 1999 experts commissioned by the government had said it was not up to standard, let alone today. To reach EU standards, the government had to invest in fuel-based technology which polluted at a heavy financial cost for the Maltese. The government had not yet paid all the expenses for the power station and was paying interest on debts.

The national strategy report mentioned that tariffs should not make good for inefficiencies. Mr Mizzi claimed that increased tariffs included inefficiency-induced expenses. He asked who would be held criminally responsible for these inefficiencies when the government had not invested over the last 10 years despite a Cabinet-approved investment report.

He said people should know that the country was facing a serious real energy situation. The only solution that the government presented was to make people pay. It was true that using gas was costly, but all countries used gas and fuel to reach emission targets. If the Malta power station had to use only gas to generate electricity, it was true that tariffs would automatically increase by 38 per cent. But the government must inform the people accordingly.

He criticised the government for not having a real energy plan to implement the national strategy.

Mr Mizzi challenged Dr Gonzi to set up a committee of experts in the field, and including industrialists and financiers headed by the same person who had presented the national strategy document, to present a detailed report on the present energy situation, what needed to be done to meet the CO2 emission targets, and what the cost and tariffs would have to be. He said that there should not be any political interference with the work of this committee. The report would have to be presented to Parliament.

Mr Mizzi said that Malta had failed to extract oil and gas from the Gozo oil well. The government had never made an inquiry because it knew the truth. Instead, the government had mentioned the possibility of cooperation with Tunisia and Libya to extract oil.

He again called on the government to do its utmost to extract this mineral resource. This should form part of the energy plan which should also include transport, alternative energy sources, efficiency and research. He concluded that there was no direction on this aspect.

Evarist Bartolo and Marlene Pullicino Orlando (PL) and Franco Debono and Francis Zammit Dimech (PN) also spoke. Resource Minister George Pullicino wound up the debate. Their speeches will be reported tomorrow.