Letters to the editor - April 2, 2025

Climate action leadership

It is befuddling that when it comes to curbing climate altering emissions, Malta is hovering at the bottom of the list, as it has been for the past 20 odd years.

According to data published by Eurostat, Malta has made strides in the generation of renewable energy since 2012. However, in 2023, it only derived a meagre 10.7% of its energy requirements from renewable sources, way below the EU average of 45.3% and a far cry from Norway’s impressive 116.5%

One wonders how we can ever justify our poor performance when we are blessed with abundant sunshine all year round, when winds blow over Malta at Force 2 or stronger for 92% of the year, when we are surrounded by sea in perpetual motion that provides virtually endless opportunity to harness wave energy. Really, what is our excuse when our stakes are so high?

Why do we drag our feet to lead by example and to wield our soft powers?

The Mediterranean Sea is rapidly heating up, faster than the global average. This reality so close to home should serve as an ominous reminder of what is in store for us unless we act swiftly. The clock is ticking, yet, like a modern-day Nero, we fiddle as our seas reach unprecedented temperature highs.

Malta risks losing the image of a summer beach, sun and fun getaway destination. Photo: viewingmalta.com

It is ironic that, in the face of global climate catastrophe, Malta approaches a laissez-faire attitude, when the consequences on our little island will be dramatic and far-reaching. As climate change gathers momentum, it will strike at the very the heart of our cherished tourism industry, the lifeblood of our economy.

Our image of a summer beach, sun and fun getaway destination will be shattered and replaced by that of a parched, unliveable inferno as heat waves become more frequent, intense and prolonged.

Rising sea levels will tragically and indelibly alter our shoreline as low-lying coastal areas are engulfed, damaging and obliterating homes and businesses.

Our ailing farming industry, already reeling from extended periods of drought and occasional torrential rain, may be dealt a fatal blow as crops fail and the cost of produce on supermarket shelves soar, exacerbating inflation and pushing economically vulnerable members of society over the brink of poverty.

It is time to pull our socks way up. It is time to shake ourselves out of our deep slumber and relative inertia, and champion the cause of fighting the looming threat of climate change on all fronts.

It is time to stop believing the comforting delusion that tomorrow will never come; if not to fulfil our ethical obligations, perhaps to boost the odds of a sustainable existence and a somewhat prosperous future as a country.

Mark Zerafa, international secretary of ADPD – the Green Party – Marsa