Government shames Malta over climate change targets - AD

Alternattiva Demokratika has expressed it dismay at Malta's opposition to an EU-wide commitment to raise the cut emissions from 20 to 30 per cent below 1990 levels over the next decade.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio said that Malta's role in undermining the EU commitment to set ambitious targets to limit climate change makes a mockery of the government's green credentials and pompous declaration made before the Copenhagen Summit.

“The fact that we had to learn about this from a newspaper also shows a serious lack of transparency on the government's part. It shows a clear lack of conviction on the government's part to defend its own decisions in public. It also exposes the deep chasm between rhetoric and action, in what is another case of greenwash,” he said.

Mr Briguglio said that Malta's competitiveness could no longer depend on low standards and a race to the bottom but should be based on innovation and sustainability through a green new deal which created jobs in those sectors which contributed to sustainable social, environmental and economic development.

“Unlike others we have always supported EU membership as we looked forward to joining the regional block pressing for the global adoption of higher environmental standards. We never wanted Malta to join the EU simply to put the spokes in the wheels. This is clearly an abuse of Malta’s power to veto EU decisions which damages its international reputation,” he said.

Sustainable development spokesman Carmel Cacopardo said the government was also showing insensitivity to present and future generations who would suffer from the impact of climate change not only because of rising sea levels but also of economic costs.

“The Maltese economy and particularly its tourism will suffer the brunt of climate change as less tourists will be willing to travel to the central Mediterranean. Malta will also have to deal with new migration flows stemming from an impoverished Africa. Clearly if climate change is not addressed Malta will not just be less competitive but could face impoverishment.

“Government's direct role in restraining the EU's climate change commitments is also in defiance of the pleas of small islands that will be negatively affected by climate change,” Mr Cacopardo said.

AD has joined other Green Parties in an expression of commitment to a legally-binding UN agreement on climate change and submission of the quantified economy-wide emissions reduction targets for 2020 to the Appendix of the Copenhagen Accord.