Global warming is already affecting Malta in many ways: More extreme weather patterns, longer heat-waves, less annual precipitation but more intense rainy periods.  Last June was the warmest June since 1922; it was also the wettest in 85 years, mainly the result of one rain storm. Our supply of ground water is also under threat. In addition to this, predicted sea level rise and rising temperatures will damage the tourism sector  and will have negative effects on the health of the resident population.

Fortunately, solutions to address the problem exist. The first action is to mitigate the impacts by reducing emissions. Technology is already readily available for energy efficiency solutions and many countries are slowly but steadily switching from a fossil fuel oriented society to a renewable and sustainable one. This process is not easy one. It  has to be primarily supported by Government, with the right mixture of economic instruments, command and control measures, and strong campaigns of environmental education and awareness. The private sector is also a crucial player in this process, with  potential to improve the efficiency of its production processes and to exploit investment in sustainable and green solutions. Such investment, while helping to reduce costs, also  appeals to the fast growing green consumers market.  

Friends of the Earth (Malta) is convinced that the Government should have a clearer and more effective policy on climate change, shifting from a reactive role to a proactive one. We should be aiming at cutting CO2 emissions every year from now on, giving a clear signal that we are prepared to contribute to the obligations assumed by the EU. We should be legislating, preparing strategy and taking action; we must wean ourselves off dirty and inefficient technologies. Malta can still be considered a ‘carbon dinosaur’; its biggest sources of CO2 are the oil-burning power stations. These, together with emissions from land transport, produce most of the CO2 that increases global warming. And as an added “environmental deficit”, power stations and transport produce gaseous and particle pollutants responsible for respiratory diseases. 

Recent initiatives like the introduction of biodiesel and the extraction of methane from landfills are fine but have only a small impact on emissions and far too marginal to make a difference. Work1 by Friends of the Earth has shown that there are cheaper, cleaner solutions to the problem of climate change. The first step is a drive to make energy generation and use more efficient. This has to reach power stations, industry, commerce and households. A second step is to move decisively towards maximum utilisation of renewable energy sources—in our case solar and wind energy. The good thing about these sources of energy is that they are clean, they are climate-safe, and they will not run out. There is a vast resource out there that is largely untapped.. Reducing consumption is also a valid option, as all products require energy to be produced – from production, packaging, transportation, to disposal.

Although with current technology renewable energy will not be sufficient to cover the overall energy demand, yet significant use of it can make a difference in reducing the impacts of climate change on habitats and human life. As shown by work carried out at the University of Malta, the local potential for renewable energy from sun and wind can be as high as  25%-30% of the total electrical energy generated in 2003.

The more renewable energy we use, the cheaper it will become as the critical mass in the market develops. The other solution, currently available at low cost – indeed at cost savings – is simply to reduce energy demand, by eliminating waste and improving efficiency. This process has already started in both  public sector and private sectors; but the  public sector should give a stronger lead.

 This article was published in the August 2007 edition of the Malta Economic Update.