PD calls on government to declare climate change emergency

The Democratic Party (PD) is calling on Malta to follow in the footsteps of the British Parliament and declare a climate change emergency.

In a statement on Monday, PD said that the mounting evidence on climate change no longer “merely” pointed to a more difficult world to live but also to a “to catastrophic future in which the survival of civilisation itself is threatened.”

The party said it was crucial that both Malta and the European Union call a climate change emergency, noting that it was an issue which could not afford to be politicised.   

“The dangers are growing, and we may reach a tipping point from which there is no return. It is a fundamental moral duty for leaders to take a stand and act now. One imminent threat is the release of methane from melting permafrost,” the statement read.

"Methane is a greenhouse gas up to thirty times more impactful than CO2, and as the climate warms it will be released from the melting permafrost in Siberia. The escaping methane will trigger warming causing more permafrost to melt, and therefore the climate will warm further, causing a positive feedback loop until all methane has been released. The Earth will not be able to sustain a population of many billions beyond 4 degrees of warming, and if we allow the Earth to enter into positive feedback loops we are risking our very survival," MEP candidate Camilla Appelgren said.

Appelgren said that the global community needed to act now, adding that it was crucial that Malta and Europe declare a Climate Emergency and that climate change is put to the top of the agenda. Stopping plastics is not enough.

Deputy leader and Sliema local council candidate Timothy Alden said that Malta has always been able to punch above its weight, especially with its voice in Europe. He said, therefore, Malta should not think of itself too small to make a difference.

"It needs to show leadership on this issue. We can make a difference by convincing opinion leaders and the European Union to declare a Climate Emergency. Arvid Pardo, who Malta is so proud of, was the Father of the Law of the Sea Conference. We must bring people together when it comes to fighting climate change. This is no partisan issue. Showing leadership on this is the greatest contribution we can offer the world today."

PD said that climate change was a pillar of its MEP manifesto. "Malta must do more to not only meet its own targets but encourage Europe to do the same and more, as the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement are not enough to prevent disaster. Malta's contribution to CO2 emissions is negligible, but the role Malta can play in dealing with the issue abroad is great. New opportunities can be created, and Malta can be a prime mover and leader in bringing them about."