Statements from some Government quarters on “making Gozo a zero carbon economy prior to 2050,” have been welcomed by the Gozo Business Chamber.
In a statement, the Chamber said that it “believes in this vision where Gozo could be a pioneer in Malta’s sustainability efforts.”
It highlighted the point that as an island which is dependent on another main island, Gozo’s economy faces added disadvantages, and is “over exposed” to certain sectors such as tourism, construction and real estate.
The Chamber stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of diversifying the Gozitan economy, and the strategic importance of having a long-term vision. “Sustainability should be the platform on which this vision should be formulated,” it added.
Gozo, would then be zero carbon economy prior to the target being set for the Maltese islands as a whole. The GBC said that the island represents the “ideal test bed for developing and deploying sustainable solutions, prior to these measures being meted out on a national level.”
This could also be an important economic niche for Gozo, the Chamber remarked.
It added that, “measures targeted towards increasing the adoption of electric vehicles in Gozo, and the production of renewable energies, should be supported and incentivised further. These are only some of the measures which could be explored.”
The Chamber concluded by saying that it looks forward to Gozo implementing concrete measures towards the achievement of sustainability, and to it reaching carbon neutrality prior to 2050.
Photo by Alain Salvary