An environment Charter has been launched today by Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, together with Charter endorsers – Malta Chamber, Kamra tal-Periti, General Workers’ Union and Malta Union of Tourist Guides.

The Charter has been presented to all political parties and candidates and is supported by 7 social partners, 14 eNGOs and 9 local councils.

Speaking for FAA, Prof Louis Naudi explained that the Charter’s aim is to get our politicians to commit to measures to halt the ongoing destruction of our environment and the consequent diminishing quality of life for Malta’s residents.

“Although aware of this, this administration does not admit to it, hoodwinking the public with policies that focus on economic factors and weak laws full of loopholes, undermining quality of life,” he said.

He stated that “successive governments in Malta have trumpeted their mission to improve the quality of life for its citizens, using GDP based on numbers – cars, tourists, permits or property sales, income etc as a benchmark, without admitting that quality of life is more than just economic standards; it includes what people value in life, beyond material aspects.”

Prof Naudi stressed that, “property development projects are about more than buildings; construction indisputably has impacts but the social costs and are buried, not calculated. Key adverse impacts are damage to nature and built environment, air and noise pollution from construction, heavy vehicles and increased traffic, prolonged closure of road spaces; detours; road and worker safety problems.”

Prof Naudi quoted the 2021 EY Generate Youth Survey, where 9 out of 10 felt that our biggest challenge is the deteriorating environment and overdevelopment. Almost two-thirds indicated they would prefer to live elsewhere in Europe. Similarly, in the Expat Insider survey 2021, Malta ranked 56th out of 59 for the quality of the environment.

The Charter also stresses that government has a “legal obligation to protect the common interest of citizens when this collides with individual private or business interests. People have a legal right to enjoy a healthy and pollution-free environment, while public assets – including land, coast, sea and cultural heritage – should remain public unless a fixed temporary concession could serve to meaningfully improve the area and not be open for financial gain or exploitation.”

Ms Marisa Xuereb, President of Malta Chamber said that “for years we have assumed that economic development must necessarily come at the cost of sacrificing the environment, but there are ways to progress without furthering the destruction of the environment and cultural heritage of our islands.”

Speaking about tourism, Ms Xuereb asserted that tourism needs to focus on `quality rather than quantity to be sustainable.”

She stressed that. “this is especially true of Gozo which has so far avoided going down the path of mass tourism. If large development projects ruin its charm and make it an extension of Malta, Gozo’s unique tourism offering will be irreversibly destroyed.”

Malta’s economy is increasingly dependent on foreign workers. However, the relocation decisions of highly skilled employees do not only depend on job opportunities but also on the quality of life the country offers, said Ms Xuereb.

She added that “Maltese youths gain a lot from foreign work experience, but in order to attract them back once they’ve gained experience, and reverse the brain drain, we need to offer a better Malta than they left. Malta must embrace economic growth that enhances, not detracts from our country.”

Perit Andre Pizzuto of the Chamber of Architects welcomed the opportunity to position quality of life as a priority. He had strong words for the urban planning of the past 50 years, which he termed “a series of mistaken decisions” which has led to the present degradation of our environment.

“Attracting high-worth individuals is not going to be achieved by destroying the value of our country, our cultural and environmental heritage,” he said.

Perit Pizzuto maintained that although both of the main parties claim to be promoting environmental values, their manifestos fall far short of the wholesale reform in planning that is needed.

Mr Paul Spiteri, Treasurer of the Malta Union of Tourist Guides stated that while certain parts of Malta, such as Valletta and the Three Cities, have great appeal, tourists’ experience in places like Bugibba are much less positive and this needs to be reversed, rather than spreading to other areas.

Astrid Vella, Coordinator of Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar concluded by saying that the non-political nature of the Charter was reflected in the fact that its endorsers span the political spectrum.

She maintained that a poor environment undermines workers’ health while increasing the nation’s public health spending. The granting of so many permits for luxury developments while young couples can’t find accommodation they can afford is a further environmental injustice.

Ms Vella confirmed that the Charter has been endorsed by the PN, ADPD, Volt and independent candidate Arnold Cassola, who have committed to implementing it if elected to Parliament, however the very party that is promoting an environmental manifesto, the Labour Party, has made no attempt to endorse it.

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar called on the government “to recognise and put its signature to the charter, which is non partisan and supported by all segments of politics and society.”

ENVIRONMENTAL CHARTER

“Our ancestors built bastions to protect themselves from invaders, worked together in times of immense economic strife, persevered through wars and pandemics, ultimately fighting for the Malta we all know and love. Today, it is our turn to look after the islands for future generations, and ensure that public policy direction and its implementation, safeguards our heritage and Quality of Life from irreversible damage

“We, The Citizens of The Maltese Islands Therefore Declare That:

“The Government of Malta exists to serve all of its citizens and the common good.

“It is a fundamental principle of Government to promote and protect the ‘Quality of Life’ of its citizens, endorsing and implementing the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

“It is our legal right that the state should fight to protect the common interests of its citizens, where their best collective interests override individual interests whether for business, leisure or private use.

“Government does not have the legal right to diminish citizens’ quality of life by abusing those inherent rights granted to its peoples.

“Its people have a legal right to a healthy environment, free of air, dust, visual and noise pollution, living peacefully in their homes and enjoying all public spaces.

“Malta and Gozo’s environment – land (including roads and pavements), coast and sea – and cultural heritage are to be legally protected common benefits, to be enjoyed by all and future generations. These public assets should remain public and private involvement should only be considered if the main aim is the meaningful improvement of the area, and not exclusively for pecuniary gain or exploitation. Concessions should be on a temporary fixed basis and strictly controlled.

“The natural environment and urban green areas are essential to our citizens’ Quality of Life, especially trees which reduce stress, decrease air and noise pollution and provide shade.

“It is the duty of Government to uphold our Constitution, wherein “the State shall protect and conserve the environment and its resources for the benefit of present and future generations and shall take measures to address any form of environmental degradation in Malta, including that of air, water and land, and any sort of pollution problem and to promote, nurture and support the right of action in favour of the environment.”

“The provisions of Constitution paragraph (8) above must be legally enforceable in any Maltese court and the principles contained therein be applied in making laws and policy formulation as well as its interpretation.

“Infrastructural and unsustainable development must not take place at the expense of the Quality of Life of its citizens. All Government and Planning Authority policies and government decisions must be subject to the law, public interest and climate change considerations, with no exceptions or fast routes for Government projects unless verifiably in the public interest.”

ENDORSERS:

Social Partners: General Workers’ Union, Gozo NGOs Association, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Chamber of Commerce, Malta Chamber of Planners, Malta Employers’ Association and Malta Union of Tourist Guides.

ENGOs: Extinction Rebellion, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Ghawdix, Gozo University Group (GUG), Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers’ Association, ROTA and Sustainable Built Environment.

Local Councils of: Birgu, Qala, Qrendi, Safi, San Giljan, Sliema, Swieqi and Xaghra.

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