Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1342444
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 FEBRUARY 2021 OPINION Delivering our vision government – arm in arm with Infrastructure Malta – seem to be enthusiastically ripping up untold acres of agricultural land, you know, the only thing that might prevent (or at least post- pone) starvation, in case of pro- longed disruption of imports, at every conceivable opportunity. The Central Link project alone gobbled up "48,466sq.m of good quality agricultural land and 549 trees, including 272 protected trees"; and in Burmarrad, farm- ers have now joined forces with activists, against a proposed roundabout project that "would destroy arable land that has been worked for generations, as well as destroying a 500-year- old reservoir that the farmers of the area rely on for water in the summer months…." And this, incidentally, is all happening at a time when the agriculture sector is already in deep crisis anyway. As recent- ly as 2018, agriculturalist Prof. Everardo Attard had warned that: "Malta's food security is not steady." Meat production, he pointed out, had fallen by 5% between 2015 and 2016, and fresh fruit and vegetables had dropped by 10.9% in weight during the same period. "The amount of farmers has also decreased significant- ly. There was a drop of 68% of poultry breeders between 2001 and 2017, a drop of 40% of pig breeders and a drop of 45% of dairy cow breeders in the same period. Crop farmers have also decreased by 21%." Above all, Attard argued that the government should start supporting small farmers and livestock owners, in an effort to help them grow their own produce: "If we become aware of the real shortage in our food supply, we may start thinking of environmental stewardship." But instead of 'supporting small farmers', government seems hell-bent on doing the precise opposite. Not content with having watered down the Local Plans, to strip agricultur- al land of the limited protection it once enjoyed… they are now physically driving farmers off what little land they still grow crops on; and, in some cases, which their families have tilled for generations. And what are they replacing all those fields with? Roads. You know: just to ensure that it won't even be possible to revert the land to its original state, if (or when) the unthinkable one day does indeed occur… and Malta is once again being pushed to the very brink of starvation (as has happened so very often in the past: 1942, 1919; all the way back to 3,600BC, and beyond)… Only then, I suppose, will we finally realise the ancestral wis- dom of that ancient Cree prov- erb (or wherever the quote ac- tually comes from): 'when the last tree has been felled, the last fish caught, and the last farmer's field asphalted over… only then, you will realise that you cannot eat tarmac.' WHEN I joined the Maltese Parliament, many had asked me about the rationale behind my de- cision for leaving Brussels, and how would I use that experience to contribute to Malta in gener- al and the energy sector in particular? It was a justified question, given that my portfolio in the European Parliament covered the energy sector, not only because of my role as S&D coordinator in the EP's environment committee, but also due to my position as S&D Vice President for the Eu- ropean Green Deal. The move also followed the Prime Minister's bold declaration back in September that Mal- ta would be working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This would also be in line with the EU's own 2050 aims. Speaking about achieving carbon neutrality and protecting our climate requires a robust plan and a clear vision – something which the Labour Government is focusing on and is work- ing on. We are not simply talking about the need to achieve this – ours is not a wish list – but we are mapping out the de- tails of how to get there. In the process of looking at the long-term target of carbon neutrality, we have to have intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040. We are actively collab- orating with multiple stakeholders, both from the public and private sector. Just to give one clear example targeting CO2 emissions, we are already working with multiple stakeholders to have in place a Sustaina- ble Strategy for Public electric vehicles leading to a tangible action plan. Meanwhile, Enemal- ta is already running its own EVs pilot project and work is underway to significantly increase the accessibility and number of charging points across Malta and Gozo. This is not about working in silos, but by bring- ing in together all the economic and social sec- tors. It is about developing support for businesses who want to transition and support the green economy. It's about creating a strong green economy in the Maltese Islands. It is about helping households become more efficient, utilise their investment in the best way possible whilst contributing towards the overall implementation programme of our strategy. The options are there. At this point we are ana- lysing the details of the options in front of us, in terms of their technical and economic feasi- bility for an island like Malta – a country which is physically isolated from mainland Europe. These solutions must also make market sense, to avoid adding any extra burdens to consumers and businesses. Ever since the Prime Minister put me in charge of energy, enterprise and sustainable develop- ment in late November, my target has been, and will continue to be, one: that of ensuring eco- nomic stability, environmental protection and social justice. One does not exist without the others. The Labour government's decision to switch from heavy fuel oil as source of energy to LNG, was no mean feat. It resulted in cheaper bills for consumers and businesses; it helped Enemalta get back on its feet from an ailing entity drown- ing in debt. This meant a direct and much-need- ed positive impact on the country's coffers. It delivered a reduction of CO2 emissions by 50%, the closure of the Marsa Power Station, the de- commissioning of the most polluting plant at Delimara and cheaper rates for consumers. That is not our end game. For me, as a new Minister, the drive to- wards cleaner energy sources is gaining mo- mentum just now. The approach remains that of economic viability, access to households and businesses, securi- ty in the energy sector and low bills matching people's quality of life. Whilst we continue to invest in proper energy infrastructure, we aim to retain stability in prices, something which is of utmost importance for business planning and growth. This administration is effectively working on putting in place the necessary tools to ensure that our sustainability ambitions are met. In this context, the green bond bye-laws re- cently approved by the MFSA will make it pos- sible for green bonds to be issued and traded on the Malta Stock Exchange. This indispensable tool will ensure that financial capital flows to green ventures. Maltese businesses who are ac- tively perusing eligible projects that are essential for Malta to achieve its sustainable development goals can now rely on adequate financing pros- pects. Our objective here is to ensure that we bridge the distance between eco-entrepreneurs and environment conscious investors. Beyond the talk, serious planning, determi- nation, together with timely and impactful im- plementation of our policies, are the most con- tributing factors for the country to achieve its carbon-neutrality objectives based on a serious plan with concrete deliverables. My target has been, and will continue to be, one: that of ensuring economic stability, environmental protection and social justice. One does not exist without the others Miriam Dalli is minister for energy, enterprise and sustainable development Miriam Dalli