In a decision that has caught everyone by surprise, the UN Environment Programme last night announced that following the PM’s intervention at COP 26, Malta has been appointed as the world’s first ‘national’ guardian of sustainability for small island states.
The appointment came on foot of the PM’s eagerly awaited speech in Glasgow where he perceptively warned the conference hall that such small island states were in ‘grave danger’ in an era of climate change.
Echoing a theme, he insists is synonymous with his leadership, that of his ministerial colleagues and his administration overall (including his wife), the PM informed world leaders that he and they needed to ‘walk the talk’ and offer ‘our children hope for a better future’. ‘Talking the walk’ came naturally to his government he noted.
Having provided strong and decisive leadership on sustainability, his government was now prepared to provide ‘assistance’ to smaller states to ensure a better future for their children also. Defending and promoting the rights of all children and future generations (regardless of creed or colour) was at the very core of everything he stood for and everything he did.
The PM reminded delegates that Malta was the country that brought climate change to the UN General Assembly agenda in 1988 and he was now determined to continue that leadership in this current era. He assured the assembled leaders that his government would spare no effort in contributing as much as possible to climate change.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration, the PM said his regime would continue to work alongside Malta’s construction industry, it’s road, metro and tunnel contractors and the country’s famed infrastructure planners to achieve his objective.
This would yet again cement Malta’s world leadership role- Robert Abela
His government was now also willing to do the same for other small states as it had done for Malta – ‘we are pleased to offer our services, our partners, and our experience to others’. Many small island states around the world would benefit immeasurably by learning from Malta.
This, he said, would yet again cement Malta’s world leadership role.
When it came to issues of the environment, no stone would be left unused, no bush or tree would be ignored and, above all, no opportunity wasted to maximise environmental impact. Each institution of state, all administrators and public servants were fully committed to this shared goal.
His government, he said, was introducing a new ‘environmental sensitivity index’ underpinned by a public awareness campaign to ensure that everyone did as much as possible to contribute to climate change.
The work on the index and its accompanying education campaign has been funded by Malta’s construction industry and is spearheaded by some of its best known and self-publicised tycoons.
The Prime Minister pointed to the research work currently being undertaken by Malta’s bird trapping community as an example of the public’s abiding interest in the environment, in all its dimensions.
Another example was the government’s visionary strategy of giving guardianship of limited woodland areas to Malta’s bird shooting community.
Following the PM’s speech, there was some confusion as to his use of the phrase eco-development with some delegates mishearing it as ego-development. This was the cause of much light-hearted chuckling among the Maltese delegation.