In the midst of a global pandemic, the prime minister outlined a new vision for the future of the economy that will outlive governments and politicians of a generation. His economic outlook trespasses barriers that are generally viewed in silos. 

But he weaved governance issues, infrastructure upgrades, social well-being, education for the future, linking all to the environment and the aim of having Malta a carbon-neutral island by 2050, into one vision that may look bold ­ ‒ but is attainable.

Culturally and traditionally, ministries seem to operate as separate entities within one government. The prime minister’s speech, however, intertwined all aspects into one economic vision.

To succeed in implementing such a broad, wide-angled vision, we as a government need to undergo a cultural change in the way individual ministers manage our own ministries.

The prime minister’s leadership was evident when he boldly portrayed carbon neutrality as part of his economic vision.

This is a new economic model that places quality of life as an essential element for a sustainable economy. 

It is a nod to the reality that there is no economic plan without a healthy environment, as they are intrinsically linked in a very fundamental way.

Making Malta a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, with intermediate milestones that can be measured every 10 years, presents a unique opportunity for both the government and the private sector for years to come.

It also means doing things differently to ensure that our greenhouse gases are reduced. This means change – a radical change in the way we view the world as we know it today.

There are no bones about it: this will mean that we need to move out of our comfort zone.

He was unequivocal that economic growth is meaningless unless it brings about a better quality of life. This is indeed a change in the way this country looks at the economy.

As the ministry responsible for climate action, one of my ministry’s tasks is to finalise the Low Carbon Development Strategy by the end of this year.

This policy document will lead us in this mission to decarbonise the economy. As government, we will be leading by example, providing the right policies and measures – and support the private sector in its effort to partner up in this endeavour.

Going for carbon neutrality means that some sectors need to restructure and reinvent themselves, and the government needs to be there to ensure a just transition.

Economic growth is meaningless unless it brings about a better quality of life

No one can be left behind. So we will provide support but also ensure compliance while securing a level playing field.

Although this will be a challenge, it is neither a futile nor a superfluous exercise. Such a change is essential for the sustainability of various sectors in the long term.

I have personally launched a multi-stakeholder dialogue to put into effect and initiate a process, which allows the stakeholders themselves to come forward with the options they wish to see, in order to effect the change.

It takes a lot of thinking outside the box to make carbon neutrality a reality but we believe in the resilience and prowess of our people.

The prime minister has called for Malta’s best brains to come together to achieve this goal and this includes our younger generations.

In the end, this is for the benefit of everyone: so that future generations can continue to enjoy access to all the natural resources we cherish today and that improve our quality of life.

The prime minister also described the issue of waste as one of the biggest challenges our country is facing.

He is absolutely right. The country produces large amounts of waste. And since the fire at Sant’ Antnin Material Recovery Facility, Malta’s performance in recyclables plummeted.

This is why we are focusing our efforts on tackling this challenge: through the biggest investment in waste management that this country has ever seen, with our project ECOHIVE which is revolutionising the way we manage waste once and for all.

Owing to the introduction of a new rudimentary line in July, the recycling performance increased significantly and we will continue to improve it through further investment by the end of this year and by end 2021.

WasteServ also exported more than 6,500 tonnes of glass for recycling into raw materials a few weeks ago. This marked a spike in the country’s recycling performance as it was the largest export of glass since 2013.

Just last week, the rationale behind this major project was given the thumbs up by the European Commission, a testament to the fact that we are on the right track to transforming our economy to a circular one. 

This, too, is all part of the government’s vision towards sustainable growth.

It is up to us government ministers and all stakeholders to make the prime minister’s vision our own and implement it to ensure, primarily, the well-being of our future generations.

Aaron Farrugia, minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning