Malta was failing to reach EU-set carbon emission reduction targets because the original targets negotiated were "overambitious", Environment Minister Jose’ Herrera told parliament on Monday.
The original targets, the minister said, had failed to take into account the fact that Malta was a service-based economy and therefore had little high-polluting heavy industry which it could shut down or upgrade to cut emissions.
Malta’s per capita rate of emissions “is actually the lowest across the EU,” the minister said.
As part of Europe 2020 targets, Malta had previously committed to limit carbon emissions increases to five per cent higher than 2005 levels.
Dr Herrera was responding to a point raised by Nationalist Party MP Jason Azzopardi, who had cited Eurostat figures which showed that Malta had registered the EU’s single largest increase in emissions last year.
Malta’s dismal performance contrasted with its ranking at the top of the EU emissions reductions charts the previous year, with that reduction primarily down to the closure of the Marsa power station.
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The minister also indicated that a significant amount of local emissions came from methane as it escaped landfills – prompting consternation from Dr Azzopardi, who said it would be “extremely bad” if these emissions were no longer being captured.
Air quality concerns
Dr Azzopardi highlighted concerns about air quality, saying the government’s talk of a massive leap in air quality once the “cancer factory” power station was shut down was proving illusory, with respiratory doctors reporting an ever-increasing caseload.
He also criticised the government for introducing a Constitutional amendment to protect the environment which was ultimately not enforceable in court, and thus “had no teeth.” For this reason, he called for the introduction of what is known as “actio popularis,” which would allow every citizen recourse to Maltese courts in order to stop environmental violations.
Dr Herrera concurred with Dr Azzopardi on this point and said that plans were afoot to add an enforcement directorate to the Environment and Resources Authority and overhaul the legislative framework governing penalties for environmental violations.
The minister said he would consider Dr Azzopardi’s suggestion that actio popularis be introduced, at least with respect to the strongest environmental protections granted at law such as those granted by the Public Domain Act.