Partit Demokratiku, has said that the forthcoming budget must tackle climate change, ocean health, and green growth.

Leader of the Party Godfrey Farrugia warned that, “small nation states are most vulnerable. Potential catastrophic effects on biodiversity and human communities are bound to affect us drastically. Government’s insensitivity speaks for itself. It is useless crying wolf and government does not act positively.”

He argued that “Malta needs to adopt stringent low emission technologies, an eco-friendly infrastructure, clean energy production, and a reduction of industry and transport emissions. The latter should include reduction of aviation and shipping emissions.”

Timothy Alden said, “our land transport system is choking us to death. Government has touted roadwork congestion relief as a solution when all that is being done is what traffic planners call ‘induced demand’ for more vehicles on our roads.”

“The present short-sightedness is bound to affect the well-being of my generation, more so since no accessible and reliable mass transport system exists,” he added.

Partit Demokratiku calls on the government to step up budget incentives that induce decarbonisation of land transport by having zero emission vehicles, stated Alden. “Trading petrol and diesel vehicles for electric cars must be encouraged and the possibility to convert diesel and petrol cars to use LPG fuel should be studied.”

Marcus Lauri pointed out that “if it is clean for the power station, LPG should be clean for our roads. Other countries are trying it. Why are there no LPG fuel stations?”

Partit Demokratiku concluded by saying that, “decreasing pollution will decrease morbidity and mortality, and will positively contribute to lessen the ill effects induced by climate change.”

Photograph: Alain Salvary

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