AD Chairperson Arnold Cassola addressed a press conference in Valletta today on climate change: "The Paris COP21 Climate Change summit is coming to an end. There are positive signs of a final agreed document on the way forward to tackle climate change effectively, however there are countries such as Saudi Arabia which although extremely wealthy are resisting changing there economy and are shamefully refusing to help poor countries, who are suffering the consequences of climate change to modernise their economies and wean themselves off oil."

AD Deputy Chairperson and spokesperson on sustainable development Carmel Cacopardo spoke about the effects on climate change, not least on Malta, saying "it is extremely important that the Paris COP21 conference results in a strong commitment to tackle climate change. Climate change impacts our health, our economy and as an island threatens our coasts through rising sea levels."

"Although the Maltese Government approved a National Sustainable Development Plan in 2008, this plan remained on paper and was completely ignored. Malta too must do its part to reduce its effects on the climate by seriously promoting and investing in renewable energy and the drastic reduction of cars on the road through effective mass transportation systems."

He added, "there is also a need to speed up the process to reduce waste, particularly organic waste, and move from the pilot project phase to a country wide system to tackle this waste stream. There is an urgent need for a national Carbon Budget with specific targets. Reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels is an opportunity to, together with reducing the impact on the climate, cleaning the air we breathe, reducing pollution and related serious health effects, and also to build a modern, sustainable green economy."

AD spokesperson on transport and energy, Ralph Cassar, expressed the hope that the Paris accords, despite its shortcomings, will provide a good basis to get developed countries to carry their responsibility and help the most vulnerable countries to develop sustainably.

"We welcome the measures to keep temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius and the efforts to limit the rise to not more than 1.5 degrees celsius. We hope that the measures agreed on will really be effective and bind countries to take real and effective action. It is encouraging that 195 countries came together to push for an effective agreement. The fact that the climate agreement will be revised periodically to make sure that the targets are reached is positive."

Cassar said, "we cannot but notice the change in attitude from the previous climate summits, the change in attitude of the USA and China and the push in favour of an effective agreement by countries such as Brazil. The efforts of Pope Francis and civil society to keep up pressure on policy makers to come to an effective agreement is laudable and hopefully will bear fruit."

During the press conference AD activists wore high-visibility vests to emphasise the importance of tackling climate change. The vests carried the European Green Party's message: 'There is no Planet B.'

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