Gozo is one of 100 European cities that will be participating in a mission to become climate-neutral by 2030 in a project backed by the European Commission. 

The cities will receive some €360 million between them from Horizon Europe, the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation, to develop address clean mobility, energy efficiency and green urban planning among others.

Becoming climate-neutral means reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible while compensating for the remaining emissions.

The cities participating in the project will be asked to draw up a Climate City Contract, which will include a plan to achieve climate neutrality across all sectors, including energy, buildings, waste management and transport.

Citizens, research organisations and the private sector will be involved in the process. 

The contracts will hold the cities accountable for keeping up with their climate obligations and to better engage with citizens to deliver on their established goals. 

Some 377 cities expressed interest in joining the mission. The commission will establish a support network for those that did not make it to the final 100, and provide alternative funding opportunities for their efforts. 

“The green transition is making its way all over Europe right now. But there's always a need for trailblazers, who set themselves even higher goals.

"These cities are showing us the way to a healthier future. We will support them on this! Let's begin the work today,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said about the mission in a statement. 

Goal achievable if we move beyond buzzwords - Peter Agius 

Nationalist Party spokesperson Peter Agius said that the goal of making Gozo climate-neutral was totally achievable if the mission successfully moved beyond buzzwords and involved local stakeholders to achieve the goals. 

“This is an opportunity to create quality jobs, boost innovation, tap EU funds and drive forward the green and digital transition,” Agius said.

With Gozo having previously been earmarked as an ‘eco-island’, efforts could not be sidelined to make way for rampant development, as had been done in the past, he added.

“While I welcome Gozo’s inclusion in the Climate Neutral Cities target, we need to muster all the political commitment and bring stakeholders together to ensure the trust of the local communities for the target to be reached,” he said.

“We need concrete actions and new initiatives that bring about change and for this not to be a public relations exercise. We have to go beyond buzzwords.”

“Six solar-powered buses - an investment of € 2.5 million - remained abandoned in a scrapyard in Xagħra, Gozo for years. After all our pressure these solar buses are now being used for the park and ride.”

“The government needs to make sure that when it comes to climate change, it moves beyond jargon and walks the talk. We want to start from Gozo by involving all the actors of the Gozitan economy.”

Aguis said little effort was being made to bring Malta and Gozo up to speed with current energy efficiency initiatives.