The Nationalist Party has accused the government of dragging its feet on climate change, especially in light of findings made by the United Nations in its “code red for humanity” climate report.

“This government is lowering expectations on reaching EU goals on the reduction of emissions, failed to invest in infrastructure for electric vehicles and is ignoring the rights of those who invest in solar panels,” the PN said in a press conference addressed by environment spokesperson Robert Cutajar, green economy spokesperson David Thake and candidate Janice Chetcuti on Friday. 

“The government is inconsistent on these matters, with Aaron Farrugia, the Environment Minister himself, admitting that environmental matters were not a priority for the administration.” 

They said the Labour government was attempting to pass off certain events as a victory, while these have actively contradicted achieving climate goals, such as being obliged to allocate a portion of EU recovery funds towards the environment and convincing the EU that Malta’s goals in reducing emissions should be reduced from 36 per cent to 19 per cent.

“The government has failed its environmental goals for 2020, it is neither credible nor can it be trusted at it’s word for achieving goals for 2030 and 2050,” the PN said. 

“Climate change is a reality, we have begun to feel its effects in extreme weather events.”

The party said its candidates were being proactive on the matter and said it would be announcing details about a planned climate change conference in the coming days. 

Opposition not credible, hasn’t learned from the past - PL 

In response, the Labour Party said the Opposition was not credible on environmental matters as the country was still suffering the negative effects of decisions made during its legislature. 

The PN’s environment spokesperson Robert Cutajar has defended a decision to extend the development zone in the 2006 local plans, which in terms of land mass roughly equated to the entirety of Siġġiewi in size, because he was part of the system that made the decision, Labour said, and still part of “controversial policies that guide Bernard Grech’s politics”.

The PN had ignored government initiatives on climate change and simultaneously failed to address how it would reach targets set out for transport energy, construction, waste, water and other sectors. 

“This confirms that the PN has no credibility and not only does it lack ideas and vision but it is not prepared.”

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