Several events announced to combat air pollution

Reporting by Jean Pierre Cassar

During a press conference this morning, Environment Minister Leo Brincat announced a series of events in order to promote the quality of air.

“This is the country’s responsibility, there is no party to blame, we should collectively act for a better environment,” Brincat said this morning.

The usual car free day - scheduled for 22^nd September - is among a number of initiatives taking place during the upcoming month.

During the car free day, the Ministry for Transport will be organising a bicycle event while a number of local councils and NGOs will set up further events to promote this initiative. MEPA will also be organising a car free day for its employees.

The first event will be a discussion being held next Friday in Fgura, one of the localities mostly suffering from air pollution. During this discussion, citizens can present their problems and opinions about what should be done to improve air quality.

The discussion will also be addressed by a German expert on air pollution, Karl Ludwig Hüttner.

Each participating local council will get a budget of €2,000 funded through the Environmental Initiatives in Partnership Programme Fund.