Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1401709
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 AUGUST 2021 INTERVIEW media – that counts walls and green electrification of vehicles, including government fleet, electrification of public transport buses, incentives for cleaner mobility... With the support of Resilience and Recovery funding, we are also planning to pilot project the first carbon neutral school. It's clear that whoever is saying this is either ill-informed or has an agenda to discredit Govern- ment's work. I invite any climate change experts to discuss with our of- ficials and experts at our minis- try our comprehensive strategy announced this year. I believe the majority of people appreci- ate the work that is being done every day. The 'roundabouts' that are being referenced were created with a sustainable plan and are self-maintained through a built-in irrigation system. Af- forestation and urban greening projects are not 'greenwashing' – they are enjoyed and appreci- ated by many who find them to be improving the environment they live in, as they continue to complement Government's col- lective work. One way to address climate change is to encourage re- newable energy. Yet a major obstacle to solar energy is the planning system and ongoing construction on roofs and de- velopments which block access to sunlight. What is stopping the government from introduc- ing solar rights? The emissions from energy make up around one third of total emissions in Malta's UN- FCCC inventory of emissions. I agree that renewable energy is a key area in this transition; and indeed it is one of the key areas that are included in LCDS. Malta has achieved signifi- cant emissions reduction as our country shifted from the highly pollutant Heavy Fuel Oil to gas, whilst it reinforced its commit- ment towards incentivising the use of renewable energy. On- ly recently, as Government we launched the most ambitious schemes to attract investment opportunities for alternative and cleaner sources of energy, com- plementing the commitment to invest in a second intercon- nector. Solar rights are an issue that has recently begun to be discussed in EU fora, and we are actively exploring what needs to be done in our own country. A year ago, you issued a draft of a new planning policy, to re- move a loophole which allows the transformation of country- side ruins into villas, if proof of past habitation is presented. But the policy itself (which has to go through another round of public consultation after pub- lication of second draft) is still ongoing. Why does it take so long, for such a blatantly flawed policy to be changed? You are referring to the rural policy… the changes that we are proposing to this policy are aimed to avoid loopholes that there might be with the current policy, and continue to strength- en the policy and the agricultural sector in order to protect virgin land as far as possible. There are many ideas on how this policy should change. We are analys- ing and considering all feedback submitted. In the meantime, caution is be- ing exerted regarding the inter- pretation of the current policy in order to ensure that all permits issued are in line with the spirit of the said policy. The process of reviewing the current policy is a bureaucratic one but there were various individuals and NGOs who urged me not to rush, and asking for more time for discus- sions to take place, also on the level of the Intelligent Planning Consultative Forum. Under your predecessor, Jose Herrera, ERA had conducted studies on land reclamation. Have these studies been con- cluded? And what is your own stance on land reclamation? The preliminary studies are in our hands and now the stud- ies need to continue on a more advanced level. There are many countries that have used land reclamation, including for in- dustry and mobility. Countries like the Netherlands, for exam- ple, made use of land reclama- tion for new forests. Others for real estate. It is for this reason that we need to look at what our country needs. Personally, as I've publicly declared before, I'm positive about the idea of land reclamation. The Gozo tunnel will inevitably have a massive impact on ter- restrial and marine protected sites. How can an Environment Minister be in favour of a pro- ject involving excavation works passing right under Pwales val- ley, and other protected areas in the north of Malta and Gozo? Government discusses inter- nally and decides the way for- ward collectively, taking into consideration all challenges and environmental aspects when making decisions. It is a common complaint that there is too much development going on. We all know that this was result of the Local Plans, and of subsequent policy revi- sions by the Labour government which aggravated the situation (e.g., DC 15 which measures building height in metres in- stead of floors… after sanitary regulations were changed per- mitting lower storeys)….so why not withdraw these policies, and change the local plans? Right now, the SPED [Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development] review is ongo- ing. This review will give us a clearer picture of what kind of local plans our country needs. We need to also understand the concerns and requests of peo- ple. While some say that we are experiencing overdevelopment, hundreds of families feel that they are at a disadvantage due to the ways the local plans were de- signed, and are asking for their land to be included in develop- ment zones. These are realities that shouldn't be ignored. Meanwhile – and for the first time – the SPED blueprint will be designed not only by plan- ners, but environmental special- ists. In this manner we would ensure to find a balance between development and protecting our natural resources. As soon as you were elected you had promised a transpar- ency register in which you would register meetings with lobbyists. When do you intend publishing this register? During the same period, the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life was working on a document regarding a lobby reg- ister. I was asked to wait for this document to be finalised, after which the government would collectively decide on the way forward.