Labour queries climate change strategy delay

The government-appointed Climate Change Committee, set up more than a year ago, had yet to finalise a strategy report it was supposed to have done six months ago, the Labour Party charged.

The committee, headed by David Spiteri Gingell, was tasked with drawing up a strategy for adaptation to climate change, focusing on areas such as health and socio-economic policy, water and flooding, biodiversity and agriculture. Its brief is to propose abatement measures and prioritise their implementation.

PL environment spokesman Leo Brincat said the committee was supposed to have finished its work by last spring, however, in summer it said it was still working on the report and had now made the same statement again.

“It’s rather worrying that such an important committee has only met on four occasions after all this time. Its chairman, however, had met its members numerous times individually on an informal basis,” Mr Brincat said.

He said the PL would be ready to give its reaction to the report once it was published and raised for discussion in Parliament.