Economic considerations at times run counter to good environmental practice. Faced with such situations, individuals and governments did not always find it easy to swing the balance in favour of the environment. Things change when we realise short-term economic growth that happens at the expense of the environment often leads to substantial economic loss in the medium and long term. What we gained yesterday we have to pay for today and tomorrow with interest.

This realisation has helped push environment towards the top of the agenda of governments. Surveys also show the environment is now a top consideration for individuals and households. Which is, of course, a positive and welcomed development. The environment is no longer the pet subject of some fundamentalists. It is a core consideration that shapes decisions taken by governments, international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union and most of us who came to understand that if we do not respect the environment it will disrespect us.

We are addressing a number of environmental shortcomings that have accumulated over the years by challenging bad practices, replacing inadequate infrastructure and technology and strengthening the laws, structures and enforcement capabilities meant to protect our environment.

We are a few months away from seeing a brand new fleet of Euro-certified buses on the roads, heralding what is possibly the biggest public transport reform ever undertaken. If the reform works, and by work I mean getting more people to use cleaner public transport and leave their private cars at home, we will have cleaner air.

The closing down of the Marsa power station will give the residents of the Grand Harbour region and beyond a breath of fresh air. This will be possible because of the extension of the Delimara power station and the cable that will link us to the European energy grid.

The soon-to-be-inaugurated liquid waste treatment facility in Ta’ Barkat will ensure all our liquid waste is treated before being pumped into the sea. This means cleaner seas for us and the habitats that live in and around our islands.

We have come a long way in dealing more sensibly with our solid waste. Gone are the days of simply mixing construction waste with all other solid waste and dumping it in an unregulated manner in landfill sites. Today, waste is a highly regulated activity. We separate, recycle and treat solid waste before disposal.

We aim to better regulate the construction industry, the cause of major concern to so many individuals who have to suffer the consequence of fine dust generated from quarrying and building. Quarries will require an environment permit to operate, a permit that places obligations on quarry operators to meet environmental standards.

While succeeding in obtaining EU approval for the designation of 18 per cent of our territory as Natura 2000 sites is no small achievement, such designation in itself is not sufficient if we want to truly safeguard our environment. The attainment by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority of €3.4 million in EU funds towards drawing detailed management plans for such sites will be a further step in the right direction while working with eNGOs in the interim and eventually when we come to implement such plans.

Protection of the environment must, however, never be limited to the terrestrial. To this effect, Mepa has designated four marine protected areas that are hopefully in the process of being approved by the EU as part of the Natura 2000 network.

We have overhauled Mepa, strengthening its environmental teeth. We are introducing heavier fines to deter people from developing illegally, have increased third party rights in the processing of development applications and are in the process of increasing substantially the personnel for the Environment Protection Directorate.

The criticism we are getting today is that the pendulum within Mepa has swung too much in favour of the environment. My reaction to such statements is that, in such matters, I prefer to err on the side of caution. Decisions that impact negatively the environment are hard if not impossible to reverse. Therefore, I, for one, welcome a stricter approach to protecting the environment.

We are seeking to address the environment deficit accumulated over the years, investing heavily in time and money. Whether we are seen to be doing so is another question. The projects listed above translate into investments running into hundreds of millions of euros. Yet, the perception battle will be a difficult one to overcome. The link between this country’s substantial efforts and the environment is not always clear. The link between the public transport reform and the environment, for instance, is not as immediate and clear as, say, the link between Mater Dei Hospital and health. Having said this, I have no doubt that, over the coming years, as we reap the benefits of our efforts and investments, our nation’s green credentials will continue to improve, as will our quality of life.

Dr de Marco is Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture.