Stop fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy now for serious climate action, says FOE

Malta must stop its investment in fossil fuels and that includes the proposed Melita TransGas pipeline, Friends of the Earth Malta said in an immediate statement issued upon Robert Abela’s call for a climate change authority.

Amidst a heatwave with temperatures running over 40°C for days, and debilitating power cuts across the Maltese islands, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Malta “needs to adapt to a changing climate”.

But FOE Malta, whose report ‘Towards a Fossil Free Malta’ was published only one month ago, said Malta must be climate-proofed by moving away from fossil fuels by 2035 latest.

“Exploration for, or investment in fossil fuels – oil, coal, and gas – is incompatible with global, EU, and national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Any public investment in our energy system must be compatible with climate targets,” FOE’s Climate Campaign Coordinator Suzanne Maas, said.

“Instead of relying on imported fuel and electricity, the country should invest in energy savings, local renewable energy sources, and community energy projects.”

FOE also called for renewable energy communities – energy cooperatives in which citizens jointly own and participate in renewable energy or energy efficiency projects – which allows the supply, sharing and saving of energy and a community say in the energy system, in contrast to large-scale energy projects that are vulnerable to corruption and big business interests.

Under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, the government has the obligation to create a legal framework for community energy initiatives, which are essential in the transition to renewable energy and the creation of a more democratic, decentralized and resilient energy system.

“To enable effective energy policy and informed decision-making, we need research and action to establish potential pathways to a 100% renewable energy future for Malta, including a rapid shift to clean renewable energy, improving the energy performance of buildings through energy savings and energy efficiency, and enabling decarbonisation and modal shift in the transport sector,” Maas said.

“As an island nation, densely populated and with limited resources, we must prioritise building a climate-resilient country, for a liveable, healthy future. The time for real climate action is now!”

Human-induced climate change is having devastating impacts on ecosystems, the environment, and people, through phenomena such as increased storms and flooding but also more intense heat waves and droughts. Intense heat waves impact human health. Research on heat-related mortality in Europe published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that in 2022 there were more than 60,000 heat-related deaths in Europe, with the highest rates found in countries near the Mediterranean Sea.

At least four heat-related deaths have been recorded in Malta in the most recent heat wave. Europe is a major climatic hotspot, with warming since preindustrial levels almost 1 °C higher than the average global increase, and higher than in any other continent.

FOE Malta has long been campaigning for ambitious climate policy and action, having demanded national climate legislation alongside other European environmental groups in the ‘Big Ask’ campaign, which led to the adoption of the Climate Action Act in Malta in 2015.

“However, since then, it’s been ‘business as usual’,” Maas said. “The past weeks showed that our energy system is not robust and not resilient in the face of climate change, which will bring rising temperatures, longer and more intense heat waves and pressure on the electricity system. Now, our government should show that they mean business, and put their words into action!”