Last weekend, while most of Malta came to a standstill because of the Commonwealth activities, there was a hive of activity and debate going on in our country among world leaders, some democratically elected and others outright authoritarians, on the importance of sustainable development and climate change.

Commonwealth leaders agreed to set up a climate change hub which would facilitate access to funds for small states.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca discussed with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sustainable development goals in the context of poverty, education, immigration, climate change and work.

The Prince of Wales said that this CHOGM came at a crucial time for the future of mankind by safeguarding a sustainable future. Addressing the Commonwealth Business Forum, Prince Charles insisted that we do not have the right to steal our children’s inheritance. “But we have a duty to act now,” he insisted.

Governments are now really concerned that they did not heed our warnings years ago and are trying to makeup for the lost time

He also called upon nations to push for the elimination of plastic waste, since this was responsible for untold damage to countless marine species, as were other human activities such as pollution and overfishing.

President Francois Hollande travelled to Malta, despite the recent tragic happenings in Paris because, he insisted, it was the duty of mankind to reach a binding agreement for tackling climate change: “We are mobilising ourselves in favour of the environment for the planet. My hope is that a lot of awareness will be raised with the presence of 150 heads of state and government in Paris.”

And the climate change discussions have started in Paris this week. What we Greens put on the agenda 30 years ago has now become mainstream. World governments are now really concerned that they did not heed our warnings years ago and are trying to make up for the lost time. Better late than never.

As for us Greens, we have not been complacent. Last Saturday, forty green leaders worldwide united to send out a strong message on the opening of the climate summit in Paris. We are insisting on the key figures necessary to give our planet and future generations a better future. ‘Keep it below 2°C’, and ‘Keep it below 3.6°F’ (the IPCC target for limiting climate change) is our vociferous battle cry.

The challenges the planet is facing are vast, but plentiful solutions are already at hand. In fact, there is a whole range of concrete options, from divestment to adaptation. Depending on the specific characteristics of each country (location, demographics, geography but also its historical climate debt), the answers will differ.

That is why we, as Green parties worldwide, take up the challenge and launch a proposal that is directly applicable or useful in our own country. We have therefore launched one concrete and workable proposal per Green party, that we would like to see put in the spotlight, discussed and evaluated at the climate summit.

The COP 21 summit in Paris has to be remembered as the summit where policymakers finally took real action. Political leaders must now seize their historical responsibilities and follow the lead of numerous citizens, NGOs and businesses that have already taken the challenge of climate change to heart and are acting in numerous ways.

As for us Greens, our proposals are painstakingly accomplishable, and the time for coming up with silly excuses is over. Our global campaign has been dubbed ‘Keep it below 2’ and refers to the 2° Celsius threshold. If global warming rises above 2°C, climate change will no longer be manageable.

What are we Maltese Greens proposing in the context of Malta’s size, geographical position and climatic circumstances? We are calling for a shift from transport depending on fossil fuels to a sustainable mobility model. Malta is choked with cars and we have a total lack of safe roads for those who use alternative means of transport.

We are proposing the conversion of public transport buses to electric buses and alternative and sustainable fuels; a clear plan so that all private vehicles are electric by 2030; a light railway crossing Malta along the main routes and investment in bicycle and pedelec routes along all the major roads, connecting all localities in Malta and Gozo.

This is Alternattiva Demokratika’s concrete proposal in the context of Maltese reality. For information on what Greens in othercountries are proposing to combatclimate change, one can visit https://www.globalgreens.org/news/keep-it-below-2%C2%B0c.

Enjoy and reflect.

Arnold Cassola is chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika.