The Labour Party is encouraging the government to introduce the concept of solar rights as a people’s right.

Leo Brincat, the party’s spokesman for the environment, sustainable development and climate change, said the party had long been insisting on the need for Malta to be more pro-active in the implementation of measures aimed at more efficient energy use, even to combat the impact of climate change.

The party was now encouraging the government to introduce the concept of solar rights as a recognition of the people’s right to solar energy use in their homes.

He said that California, which had a climate similar to Malta’s, had a Solar Rights Act. This was enacted in 1979 and gave the people legal rights to freely utilise solar energy.

Through this act, Californians could make use of the best solar energy systems without fear that access to sunlight, which was requried for these systems to operate, could be reduced through the actions of third persons.

Mr Brincat said that to encourage people to make a greater use of solar equipment, there had to be a wider environmental vision for such equipment to be operated as a civil right which would, eventually, be legally protected.

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