Strategy fails to deliver the full extent of actions and measures required to realistically meet the overarching carbon neutrality target by 2050.

Friends of the Earth Malta, Birdlife Malta and Moviment Graffitti have submitted recommendations on Malta’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). The organisations believe that the scope of the strategy remains too narrow at times, and there appears to be a reluctance in some areas to implement comprehensive change. Abdicating Malta’s responsibility to tackle certain issues head-on, blaming this on our size or population density, is also unimaginative and removes focus from the areas in which proper change can and must be implemented.

The organisations highlighted the need for drastic restructuring in the transport sector. Although acknowledging that electro-mobility can play a role, they stress on the need to focus on alternative transport, such as bicycle infrastructure and efficient public transport, which will lead to better air quality and reduction in noise pollution. 

The organisations also noted that overreliance on vague future technologies in the strategy is detracting from meaningful mitigation measures that can be taken in the shorter term. They are not satisfied that sufficient research has been carried to identify current decarbonization technologies and strategies that can be considered.

In their feedback, the organisations commented on other sectors and recommend measures on the energy, building, industry, waste, water and agricultural sectors. Noticeably, they mention that the CO2 emissions associated with the energy imported through the interconnector needs to be made publicly available so that the value of such an interconnector and the proposed second one can be assessed. The planned natural gas connection with Gela (Sicily), and proposals by the EU to consider a hydrogen line instead, need to be carefully considered and discussed openly before major decisions are made. This public funding could instead potentially be spent on proven renewable technologies which will ensure that Malta reaches its global obligations.

A copy of the recommendations document can be downloaded from here.

Organizzazzjonijiet jagħtu r-rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar l-Istrateġija għal Żvilupp ta’ Karbonju Baxx f’Malta.

L-istrateġija tonqos milli twassal il-firxa sħiħa tal-azzjonijiet u l-miżuri meħtieġa biex jissodisfaw b’mod realistiku l-mira ġenerali tan-newtralità tal-karbonju sal-2050.

Friends of the Earth Malta, Birdlife Malta u Moviment Graffitti ressqu r-rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar l-Istrateġija għal Żvilupp ta’ Karbonju Baxx (LCDS) f’Malta. L-organizzazzjonijiet jemmnu li f’xi postijiet l-ambitu tal-istrateġija huwa dejjaq wisq u jidher li f’xi oqsma m’hemmx ħeġġa biex issir implimentazzjoni għall-bidla komprensiva. Li nabdikaw ir-responsabbiltà li Malta għandha biex tindirizza ċerti kwistjonijiet b’mod ċar u dirett, li npoġġu l-ħtija fuq id-daqs u d-densità tal-popolazzjoni tagħna, mhumiex soluzzjonijiet immaġinattivi u jneħħu l-attenzjoni mill-oqsma li fihom tista’ u hemm bżonn tiġi implimentata bidla xierqa.

L-organizzazzjonijiet enfasizzaw il-ħtieġa għal ristrutturar drastiku fis-settur tat-trasport. Għalkemm jirrikonoxxu li l-elettro-mobbiltà jista’ jkollha rwol, l-organizzazzjonijiet jenfasizzaw il-ħtieġa li wieħed jiffoka fuq trasport alternattiv bħall-infrastruttura tar-roti u trasport pubbliku effiċjenti li jwassal għal kwalità ta’ arja aħjar u tnaqqis fl-istorbju.

L-organizzazzjonijiet innutaw ukoll li dipendenza żejda fuq teknoloġiji futuri vagi fl-istrateġija qed tnaqqas minn miżuri ta’ mitigazzjoni sinifikanti li jistgħu jittieħdu fi żmien iqsar. L-organizzazzjonijiet mhumiex sodisfatti li twettqet biżżejjed riċerka dwar teknoloġiji u strateġiji kurrenti ta’ dekarbonizzazzjoni li jistgħu jiġu kkunsidrati.

Fir-rispons tagħhom, l-organizzazzjonijiet ikkummentaw dwar setturi oħra u rrakkomandaw miżuri dwar l-enerġija, il-bini, l-industrija, l-iskart, l-ilma u s-settur agrikolu. Huma

nnutaw ukoll li l-emissjonijiet tad-CO2 assoċjati mal-enerġija importata mill-interconntector jeħtieġ li jkun disponibbli għall-pubbliku sabiex il-valur tal-interconnector kif ukoll tat-tieni interconnector propost jista’ jiġi kkalkolat. Il-konnessjoni tal-gass naturali ppjanata ma’ Gela (fi Sqallija) u proposti mill-UE biex tiġi kkunsidrata linja li tforni l-idroġenu minflok, jeħtieġ li jiġu miflija bir-reqqa u jkun hemm diskussi fil-pubbliku qabel ma jittieħdu deċiżjonijiet kbar. Dal-finanzjar pubbliku minflok jista’ potenzjalment jintefaq fuq teknoloġiji rinnovabbli ppruvati li jistgħu jaċċertaw li Malta tilħaq l-obbligi globali tagħha.

Kopja tad-dokument bir-rikomandazzjonijiet jista’ jitniżżel minn hawn.