The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the ensuing inflation has pushed the European Union and its member states to carry out difficult balancing acts. Between one choice and another, and against the backdrop of each crisis, another crisis has not left our cross hairs. Climate change promises to alter our lives in more radical ways than any of the aforementioned. The time to act was yesterday.

My colleagues in the European Parliament have spearheaded far-reaching climate initiatives to reverse the worrying trend of carbon emissions across different sectors in Europe. Transitioning toward climate neutrality will not be easy. And a climate transition that seeks to reform the economy must pay careful attention to the social impacts.

I believe that it is our duty to ensure that the green transition is a social one as well. This is why I was proud to conclude negotiations on the Social Climate Fund. It is an instrumental part of the EU’s climate package that adds the vital social dimension to Europe’s green transition.

By investing in better energy efficiency, we can lower energy consumption by reducing demand, at the same time minimising emissions and generating savings for families and small businesses.

While the fund envisages direct income support to help citizens cope with price fluctuations, the point is to effect longer lasting benefits. With rising energy costs, investments in energy efficiency are a better and more sustainable way of helping citizens in the longer run. Rather than paying a family’s energy bill once, investments in solar panels, more efficient cooling or better insulation will enable it to continue reaping benefits down the line.

It is an effective way toward weaning off of fossil fuels. And we can do so efficiently with social criteria, ensuring that investments first reach those who might not necessarily afford them.

Doing so means that member states need adequate funding. Throughout every stage of the negotiations, a key priority was making sure that Malta would benefit meaningfully from the Social Climate Fund alongside the other larger states.

Negotiations on the Social Climate Fund were already difficult. Some member states opposed the idea, complicating efforts to create the fund that would also need to be functional in practice. Not only did we manage this but I made the case for Malta’s allocation to be expanded in the process.

Citizens across Malta and Gozo will now benefit from around €56.9 million in measures and investments to ensure their resilience in the green transition.

This is a significant improvement from an abysmal starting point that would have provided citizens with negligible support. In the original European Commission proposal, Maltese citizens would have benefited from just €5 million in EU funds, with an equal co-financing share. Going into negotiations with the European Council, its position put Malta in even worse standing, with just €4 million and without any co-financing.

After I concluded those negotiations, citizens are now set to receive roughly 10 times the amount. It marks a significant achievement which I am proud to have delivered for citizens in Malta and Gozo.

Malta will get €56.9 million in measures and investments to ensure its resilience in the green transition- David Casa

If all goes according to plan, the next steps will see the provisional agreement return to parliament to be voted on by MEPs from across political groups. The fund is set to start as early as 2026, opening the door for investments to be effected as soon as possible in order to render the maximum benefits over the long term.

Overall, the negotiations have resulted in a better package. We have a Social Climate Fund that is more accessible for governments to use, that is better targeted to citizens and that has better checks and balances.

All in all, we have the best deal that can help ensure every penny reaches citizens and that leaves the most positive impact possible. Careful assessments and public consultations are only one way of going about this.

European governments have committed to slashing carbon emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 in comparison with 1990. To do so, the EU is designing a swathe of measures compiled in a legislative framework called the fit-for-55 package. It represents an ambitious target  but one that is non-negotiable if we are to effectively limit the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change.

The Social Climate Fund ensures that, amid the concentrated efforts to lower emissions, social inequalities are not exacerbated.

Months ago, I promised that the Social Climate Fund would be the social safety valve of the fit-for-55 package. After concluding negotiations, I am happy to say that it is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Social Climate Fund that we have provisionally agreed to is better for the climate, better for society and I am proud to say that it is significantly better for people across Malta and Gozo.

David Casa is a Nationalist Party MEP.