Environment at the centre of our electoral manifesto

Last Monday I had the opportunity to address a conference organized by the Nationalist Party on climate change in the presence of Avril Doyle, an MEP and head of the Irish delegation within the European People's Party.

I've personally had to opportunity to work with Ms Doyle through my participation in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee and the Temporary Committee on Climate Change.

The quality of our environment is a clear indicator of our standard of living and personal wellbeing. Issues such as waste and water management, energy use and efficiency, and the conservation and embellishment of our environment are directly linked to our quality of life.

The way we exploit, sustain and protect our environment is of particular importance when we consider the small size of our islands and the extremely high population density of the people living within them.

This is why Malta has long called for the protection of the environment and the conservation of our climate as a common concern of mankind and for the benefit of future generations. Indeed, in December 2008, the United Nations celebrated the 20th Anniversary of UN Resolution 43/53 which called for the "protection of the global climate for present and future generations of mankind." This particular resolution - a Maltese initiative - led to the setting up of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The European Union has now committed itself to playing an important role in combating climate change. EU Member States shall now collectively aim at reducing the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by 20% of 1990 levels by 2020, as well as to generate a 20% share from renewable energy and to improve energy efficiency by 20%.

Malta is working towards this end and is currently discussing a draft national strategy for policy and abatement measures relating to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Having served on the European Parliament's temporary committee on climate change, I firmly believe that climate change should be seen as an opportunity rather than an insurmountable challenge. By taking action now, we can pass on a clean, innovative and technologically advanced society to our children and to future generations.

The relationship between the environment and employment has gained increasing attention throughout Europe. The phenomenon of green jobs has also struck our islands, and we are now witnessing the emergence of a sector which will thrive and produce more and more quality jobs.

It is for all these reasons that sustainable development and the environment have found a central place in the electoral manifesto of the Nationalist Party. By giving importance to environmental issues, we can create new and better jobs, improve our tourism product, and augment our quality of life.