Resources Minister George Pullicino has recommended the creation of a new ecological experiment in favour of sustainable development. Titled Eko-Komunità, this would be structured within the community with the participation of local councils.
Futile to have strategies and laws if there were no implementation
Speaking during the debate in second reading of the Sustainable Development Bill, Mr Pullicino said one would be able to use the experience gained from the Eko-Skola project, which was successful since it was a partnership initiative with Nature Trust. While it started as an experiment in six schools, there were now 100 schools participating.
In a 60-minute speech, the former Minister for the Environment listed the initiatives the government had taken in this sector, including the setting-up of the Educational Centre on Sustainable Development at Xrobb l-Għaġin, which was an interactive centre where people educated themselves.
Its hostel afforded accommodation to 30 people. The building itself was built according to sustainable development principles and it created clean energy.
The government had also set up the Valley Management Unit within the Ministry of Resources. Its tasks included the cleaning of valleys to enable water catchment. Last summer, eight valleys were cleared. Moreover, such unit cleaned reservoirs, which together store four million gallons of water.
Mr Pullicino said that the government had also invested in projects to treat and store storm water. Through an investment of €56 million, one would treat around 700,000 cubic meters of water.
It had also introduced the registration of boreholes and the installation of some 3,500 meters to determine the quantities of water extracted. Farmers would not be made to pay for the water extracted since the government had managed to get €2 million from the EU for the project. The government had also introduced a moratorium on the digging of boreholes.
While there was a lot more to be done, in comparison with other Mediterranean countries, Malta was one of the high achievers in protecting the table water. Cyprus did not even register boreholes, he said.
Environmental sustainability was also implemented through converting the Qortin, Magħtab and Marsascala landfills into parks. After having treated 170 cubic meters of toxic gases, the level of dioxin was reduced by 99 per cent.
Some €28 million would be invested in these projects.
The government had already invested €9 million on Magħtab and would spend a further €24 million in the near future.
In Marsaskala, the visitors’centre and a substantial part of the park were already in place.
Minister Pullicino said that sustainable development consisted of environmental, social and economic development. There would be no sustainable development if one prevailed over the others. These three pillars should be stipulated in the Bill to avoid persons quoting legislation out of context.
It would be futile to have strategies and laws if there were no implementation.
Mr Pullicino said the government had made various projects which were in line with the concept of sustainable development such as waste disposal centers and the positioning of a new incinerator in Marsa. Such improvements were not easy to achieve due to the resistance by the opposition, he said. There had been various complaints instigated by the PL against the waste centres, as was the case with the introduction of the Sant’Antnin waste treatment plant.
Apart from beating the opposition’s resistance, the government also managed to implement and create new projects.
Mr Pullicino said the energy plan was going through a strategic environmental assessment. The assessment was lengthy but the project would be finalised by next June.
Other investments were also bearing fruit: there were currently 300 certified energy-performance buildings and 162 assessors working on such properties around Malta.
In addition, 5,300 families had installed photovoltaic cells and over 5,000 families had installed solar water heaters, helped by a €6-million government investment.
Mr Pullicino said that the feed-in tariff amounted to some 530,000 cubic metres which was equivalent to 15 full-scale football stadia covered with photovoltaic cells. This would increase after another 70,000 cubic metres of roofs of public building would also covered by photovoltaic cells.
Electric cars would also help in creating a more sustainable environment and reduce transport emissions. Some 100 electrical charging points and 24 electrical cars would soon be in Malta. This would help people to understand how electrical cars work and they would be able to assess their advantages. Mr Pullicino said this project was half funded through EU funds and would cost €2 million.
Maltese farmers were also benefiting from the government. Some €70 million were recently given to 8,000 farmers, and another €30 million would be made available to other farmers who wanted to increase efficiency and invest in new machinery or in greenhouses. Furthermore, €26 million were invested in rural areas, together with the planting of 110,000 trees across Malta.
Concluding, Minister Pullicino said a person’s income reflected on the way a person viewed sustainable development while, according to studies, marital status and level of education were not significant factors in such culture change. He said society should try and contribute more in creating a more sustainable development, adding that Malta was growing sustainably not on the environmental level only but also on the social and economic fronts.