Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1321294
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 DECEMBER 2020 Ralph Cassar is secretary-general of ADPD OPINION Ralph Cassar Six ways to make EU and Maltese industry climate neutral ALTHOUGH in Malta we do not have heavy industry, and although the country is what it is, small, we still owe it to ourselves to reduce carbon emissions by at least 65% of the 1990 level of emissions by 2030, reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. We owe it to ourselves because on the one hand it is ridiculous if the rhetoric on climate change, including the inconsequential declaration of a climate emergen- cy by Parliament, is not followed through by real and urgent action, as the word 'emergency' implies. Secondly, reductions in carbon emissions are accompanied by the reduction and in some cases the near elimination of practices, raw materials and products which negatively affect our environment and ultimately our health and quality of life. Any attempt by the Maltese government to wriggle out of its international commitments, on the back of the supposed and perceived Maltese 'specialness' should be resisted. It would be the usual excuse for business as usual. Recently our colleagues, Green MEPs Henrike Hahn, Damien Carême and Michael Bloss pro- posed a six step plan to make the manufacturing industry carbon neutral. Some of these points ap- ply to types of industries which do not exist in Malta. However since Maltese industry imports materials from mainland Europe, it is also in all our interest as a country and as a Union, that even these materials are manufac- tured more sustainably. Greener is better. Factories and manufacturers all over the EU employ millions of workers and produces the goods and products we require, howev- er industry utilises huge amounts of coal, oil and gas, water, raw materials, precious metals and chemical substances from all over the world, making it one of the leading sources of air, water and soil pollution in the EU. Worry- ingly global warming has already exceeded 1°C, and our current policies are steering us towards climate failure. On a positive note some Euro- pean companies are world lead- ers in innovative and sustainable solutions. Industry can, and should, con- tribute to the achievement of cli- mate targets. At the end of the day, it is also in industry's interest to make a green transition. Together with other Green Parties from all over Europe we have already proposed a post-covid19 Green Plan. The six steps to transform in- dustry proposed by Green MEPs supplement and strengthen our argument for a just and green transition for Malta and the EU. 1. Lead the way Europe must set increasing en- vironmental, social and transpar- ency standards for its industrial value chains. This will allow companies to understand which investments to make in order to achieve the transition to a sustainable and competitive economy in consist- ency with the EU's 2030 and cli- mate neutrality target. The main focus should be on resource and energy efficiency, the shift to a ful- ly renewable energy system and a circular economy. These objectives must be matched with financial and em- ployment support to enable a just transition for all workers. Particu- lar attention should be afforded to the decarbonisation of steel, cement, chemical and other ener- gy-intensive processes. The bulk of aid and support should be di- rected towards micro and small enterprises. 2. Polluters must pay Europe is already suffering from damage caused by climate change to the tune of € 13 billion annu- ally. No country can be taken se- riously in fight against noise and air pollution, the conservation of clean drinking water sources, if polluters are not held responsible for their actions. It is essential that all European industries pay the price for the environmental dam- age they cause. To this end, any exceptions from the payment of carbon emissions costs must be phased out, with the money redirected to green invest- ments. This will help companies with sustainable business models to become competitive and grow. The so-called 'free' market will 'decide' in favour of the dirtiest, cheapest, low wage business mod- el. This should not be allowed. 3. A level-playing field Foreign companies selling their products in Europe should pay the same price for their emis- sions as European businesses. We don't want industrial emissions to relocate from the EU to oth- er parts of the world; we want to decrease emissions everywhere. That is why the implementation of a coherent Carbon Border Ad- justment Mechanism will be a key measure for the transition of the European industry. 4. Focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy To decarbonise the energy use of industry, we have to implement energy efficiency measures. We need to identify which processes need to be im- proved or changed to reduce en- ergy consumption and eliminate waste. Industry needs to tap the full potential of renewable energy and electrify its processes. Solar technology has become cheaper than coal and gas in most countries. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are also pro- viders of a huge number of local, skilled jobs. A domestic clean energy indus- try is essential to maximise job opportunities. Here is an idea for new jobs, rather than focusing on tax eva- sion, ghost companies and the pa- thetic and lazy 'idea' of the sale of passports. The acceleration of renewable energy deployment will allow us to produce more renewable hy- drogen, which is key for most pol- luting industries where renewa- ble-based electrification is not yet feasible. 5. Create leading markets Sustainable solutions should be more affordable for consum- ers. Consumers should be able to access information through say labelling on how long lasting and easy to repair the products they buy are. We need to improve transparency on manufacturing processes, from the sourcing of the raw materials to the actual manufacturing process. Gov- ernment and public authorities should consider the sustainability of the products and services they buy, and favour sustainable prod- ucts and services and not just take the cheapest offer. 6. Funding that's fair Keeping public funding in line with the goal of climate neutrality and focused on the green indus- trial transition will be key to guar- anteeing that there are no strand- ed investments. Clear EU definitions of sustain- able activities are now available (EU Taxonomy): these definitions should be the compass for all EU and national funding, start- ing with the COVID-19 recovery schemes. Going forward, it will also be important to set up a ro- bust monitoring framework for EU funding, particularly of large industrial and infrastructure pro- jects. It is unacceptable, for example, that the EU funds unsustainable road building projects which go against its own climate targets. The Ten-T funding project is ob- solete and should be scrapped. We must act now. We cannot wait till a few years before 2050 as some seem to be suggesting. We need an industrial plan now. It is time for a greener Maltese and European industry.