The environment as the most important issue

The recently published EU-wide survey on Attitudes Of Europeans Towards The Environment elicits a remarkably positive response from the Maltese people. Caring for the environment is becoming the most important issue. The majority also believe that the government can do more for the environment, even though they can see that things are improving. While they acknowledge, therefore, that the Prime Minister’s promise at the last election to put the environment at the top of the political agenda – as he had expressed it, conquering the environmental deficit as he had done with the economic deficit – is being kept, they still intend to keep his feet to the fire by demanding that more should be done.

The survey shows the Maltese, together with their Cypriot neighbours, being the most environmentally conscious people in the 27-member EU, with 100 per cent of the respondents surveyed saying they considered the environment to be “important” or “very important” to them personally. This figure is five percentage points above the already very high EU average of 95 per cent.

Most importantly, however, a breakdown of the replies also shows the Maltese themselves are taking action to do their bit for the environment. Seventy-six per cent say they are separating their waste at home, compared to 66 per cent in the EU as a whole, and 75 per cent indicate they are cutting down on their energy consumption, particularly electricity – well above the EU average of 53 per cent. Another 62 per cent of Maltese report trying to consume less water and 44 per cent say they are using fewer plastic bags to do their shopping.

While these encouragingly high responses probably owe as much to the economic realities caused by the swingeing increases in water and electricity rates as to environmental concerns, they are nonetheless impressive improvements. They demonstrate the Maltese are adopting a different attitude of mind towards the environment, seeing it as a finite and fragile resource that must be safeguarded.

To those in the environmental community who have fought so long and so hard, the results of the survey must be sweet music indeed. But much more remains to be done. The survey itself notes that the Maltese are still failing lamentably when it comes to using their cars less often, with just 13 per cent saying they managed to travel less by car. Traffic pollution is high and causes ill-health and the most deleterious effects on the environment and quality of life. It is hoped the introduction of the new public transport system will help wean the Maltese from their addiction to the private car and, thus, improve the environment. Only time will tell.

The survey does not tackle the issue of the cleanliness of our islands – an aspect that has a direct impact on the environment – or the sustainability of natural resources. Interestingly, the survey brings out clearly the Maltese people’s concern for better enforcement of the law and the introduction of heavier fines for polluters. Asked who should be in charge of preserving and ameliorating the environment, many agreed this should be the shared responsibility of the government and its agencies and the EU, with the government doing more.

What the survey fails to underline, however, is the crucial importance that must be played by each individual to safeguarding the environment. While it was left unsaid, what this survey perhaps illustrates most vividly is that this is a message the Maltese people are beginning to take firmly on board.