Minister for Rural Affairs George Pullicino told Parliament on Wednesday that the government's expenditure on climate change had increased substantially. While less than €500,000 were allocated to waste management until 1998, the government was now allocating €16 million yearly.

The minister was speaking during the two-sitting debate on the State of the Environment report. He admitted there was difficulty to gather data on climate change. There was the need to collect data on a longer period.

The nitrate level in the aquifer resulted from several water extractions as well as several uses of chemicals prior to joining the EU, the effects of which were still being felt. If one was to be responsible for the present and future generations, then one needed to take courageous decisions.

Meanwhile, funds were needed in order to implement concrete actions. He said that one should be courageous to take fiscal actions to introduce a culture change. Eco-contribution rates imposed on plastic bags produced a change. Therefore, that such policy was successful.

The government was also courageous on the new utility tariffs, which were also a means of changing people's attitudes.

The government also took necessary action on the Marsaskala recycling plan.

Mr Pullicino said that the system of environment protection was not strong enough. Environmental protection was not included in the national agenda before the 1980s.

Students who had graduated in science in the 1970s did not have any working opportunities. He blamed the Labour government for the present lack of competent people in the sphere of sciences.

Mr Pullicino said that there were more than 100 schools participating in the Eco-Skola project. He praised Nature Trust for their work while thanking HSBC for sustaining the project. While agreeing with opposition spokesman on the environment Leo Brincat that Eco-Skola should also be incorporated in higher levels of education, he said that one had to find funds to sustain it.

It was still difficult to have people with knowledgable background in agriculture, despite the heavy investment on agricultural education.

Mr Pullicino said that the Adaptation Report would be ready by the end of May. He referred to the Mitigation Report to reduce the volume of carbon dioxide emissions and to generate renewable energy.

The study should focus on health, biodiversity, agriculture, water and storm water in Malta. The Committee was given the opportunity to create sub-groups, Mr Pullicino said.

Several incentives were provided to Maltese families to promote clean energy, including subsidies on solar heating and PVC panels. One should ensure that such incentives were effective. Such schemes should serve as a basis for an industry of renewable resources.

Through the incentive schemes, Malta was saving €5.8 million in consumer consumption. Therefore, people were changing mentalities.

The government issued a call for installation of PVCs over governmental building, an area of some 67,000m2. Fifteen companies had answered this call.

Mr Pullicino said that 34 million cubic metres of water had been extracted. The government continued with the registration of boreholes. Nevertheless, those who supply water were obliged to obtain an MRA licence. One should control where this volume of water was distributed so that the extraction of water for commercial use would always be supervised.

Through a Legal Notice, a meter would be now affixed to each borehole. Such installation would be obligatory and against payment. But farmers would not pay full VAT contributions on the installation of such meter.

Mr Pullicino disagreed with those who claimed that grazing cattle and pigs were a threat to the Maltese ecology.

Mr Pullicino said that the stormwater project was well on the way to realisation, with an EU funds injection of €56 million. The cost benefit analysis and environmental impact assessment had been completed, more detailed designs had been drawn up, and applications had been filed with Mepa for work to start on four areas: from Mosta and Attard to Ta' Xbiex, around Żebbuġ, from Qormi to Marsa, and Żabbar and Marsascala. All were moving well, and it was hoped that the EU funds would start being used soon.

Mr Brincat had mentioned he had heard tht there were difficulties. There were difficulties indeed, the minister retorted. EU experts had pointed out that it did not make sense to spend too much a capital outlay to store storm water when costs of desalination would tip the balance in their favour. Stored storm water would take thousands of euros to polish.

Mr Pullicino assured one and all that the environment policy was progressing well. A strategic environmental assessment had been done, and the policy should be finalised by the end of the year.

The renewable, clean energy target was of 10 per cent of consumption, not of generation, with the main sources earmarked to be the sun, wind and waste. Studies on the feasibility of wind farms were still under way, and the results were iminent.

The wind-farm project at is-Sikka l-Bajda could give up to 100 MW of energy, but the potential of the wind must still be maximised. But what support could the government expect from the opposition when it came to action? This would be the time when the opposition could completely lose or enhance its credibility.

Up to four per cent of the targeted 10 per cent of clean energy would come from the waste sector. The plant at Sant'Antnin would annually provide enough for the consumption of 1,400 families a year, but more sources were needed.

Malta needed an incinerator to give it energy from material that could not be exported or recycled. Must such material continue to be buried at Għallis? Denmark was getting 70 per cent of its energy needs from incinerators.

Mr Pullicino said the kind of political maturity Malta needed was the realisation that a possible future Labour administration would feel the effects of any spokes that the opposition put in the government's wheels today. Both sides should speak about real needs and address them, rather than seek to score political points.

The strategy document would be tabled shortly, and the House would have the opportunity to debate it.

The people expected a sense of accountability and transparency even from the opposition, which so far had been absent in consultation on the national strategic policy on waste management.A look into Wasteserv's accounts would show several millions of euros from EU funds for the sector. If Labour had had its way in the EU referendum these funds would not have been there for the reclamation of Magħtab, the digester at Għallis or the digester for animal waste in Gozo.

The red palm weevil experience had given a lesson in the importance of planning indigenous rather than non-indigenous trees.

Mr Pullicino, joined by Mr Brincat, took the opportunity to strongly condemn the cowardly attack on 100 trees at Mellieħa, saying it was shameful that there were still so many irresponsible and insensitive people.

Concluding, Mr Pullicino said that more than ever, the government was putting the environment to the front, not just with words but with EU funds and concrete action.