The successful implemen-tation of the agreements reached in Paris last year on how to tackle climate change depends on concrete action in different European cities, according to 20 of their mayors, including Valletta’s.

“I believe that the solutions have to be sought on a local level. We, as mayors, have to stand up and make change happen for the good of our planet,” Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli told this newspaper yesterday.

He was commenting on a statement to be released today by the mayors of Paris, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Athens, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan, Nicosia, Oslo, Riga, Rotterdam, Sofia, Stockholm, Vienna and Warsaw calling for more serious action as part of the efforts to fight climate change.

The mayors call for rules on emissions to apply to all private companies across Europe

In their statement, the mayors call for rules on emissions to apply to all private companies across Europe, after a technical committee made up of experts from member states decided in October to allow vehicle manufacturers to exceed the emissions limits set by EU legislation.

“If implemented, this decision would allow new diesel cars to exceed the emissions thresholds for nitrogen oxides by 110 per cent. In February, the European Parliament regrettably chose to support this policy, which poses such a threat to the inhabitants of our cities,” the mayors say.

The decision to introduce emissions thresholds, only to allow them to be vio-lated was unacceptable, the mayors note, adding that “it was not right to impose a duty upon public authorities to comply with air pollution standards while at the same time giving the automotive industry the green light to infringe upon them”.

Prof. Dingli said he hoped the EU would listen to their plea, adding that to uphold the major commitment made to the electorate, mayors had to push for more ambitious and bolder regulations.