http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=145352

The European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard stressed the importance of energy efficiency, saving energy and the need for the world to act faster to take the necessary climate action.

Addressing a joint press conference with Mrs Hedegaard following talks at Villa Francia in Lija, Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said they had spoken about climate change mitigation and adaption, and the action that Malta has taken and that it plans to take in this regard.

"We also spoke about our plans with respect to our 10 per cent renewable energy target and the difficulties faced in the Sikka l-Bajda wind farm project. An Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out, but we need further studies to assess the negative impact that the farm would have on the breeding and feeding ground of a particular bird species. The energy generated by the farm would cover about one-third of our renewable energy target", Mr Pullicino said.

Mr Pullicino explained that he had also discussed international climate action negotiations as well as the need for a global approach regarding a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector with the European Commissioner.

Reacting to a question about the Delimara power station extension, the minister noted that once the plant is up and running, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions will decrease significantly.

Mrs Hedegaard said she had been presented with Malta's recently finalised climate change adaptation strategy: "It is important to find ways of adapting to climate change in a clever way. We recently introduced the European Climate Adaptation Platform, an interactive web-based tool on adaptation to climate change. It is a publicly accessible, web-based platform (http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu), designed to support policy-makers at EU, national, regional and local levels in the development of climate change adaptation measures and policies."

Climate-Adapt will support the generation of the knowledge base required for the development of evidence-based adaptation policies. Its contribution will inform the development of a comprehensive EU adaptation strategy that the Commission plans to adopt in the beginning of 2013, with the goal of supporting the needs of member states, transnational organisations and local stakeholders with appropriate actions at a supranational level.

Asked about the way she looked at Malta's water problems, the Commissioner said that it is up to the government to find solutions, but highlighted two main points: energy efficient desalination systems, and saving water, which would in turn save energy: "The cheapest energy is the one you don't use, and I think it is extremely important for people to become more aware of the precious water resource."

Mr Pullicino, on his part, referred to the government's efforts to regulate groundwater extraction, saying: "From all the Mediterranean countries, with the exception of Israel, we are moving the fastest in this regard."

Water is one of the main points tackled in the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy that the government presented three days ago. Another strategy, on climate change mitigation, was finalised a few years ago.

Mr Pullicino announced that on the recommendation of the committee that drew up the adaptation strategy, climate change ambassador Simone Borg and two other lawyers would be drafting a law on climate change.

Due to the limited amount of research and modelling on climate change adaptation and mitigation, the committee presented recommendations that address Malta's sustainability, that is policy matters and issues that require attention irrespective of how climate change behaviour may affect Malta in the future.

The emphasis is therefore on giving priority to 'no regret' options that would deliver tangible environment and sustainable development results independently of climate change considerations, given that such measures are still required to secure sustainable development in Malta.

Additionally, the committee's proposed way forward demands that adaptation policy actions complement measures already taken or planned to be taken in the area of mitigation. Many measures, such as those aimed at improving the energy efficiency of households and enterprise, or at reducing the need to produce fresh water through energy intensive processes, have a crucial role to play in both mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Mrs Hedegaard, who also spoke about climate change mitigation, stressed the importance of boosting energy efficiency, saying it creates jobs, makes economic sense and is the cheapest way of cutting carbon dioxide.

According to European Commission estimates, an average household could save up to €1,000 a year if Europe met the 20per cent energy efficiency target over the coming decade. And by 2050, energy savings could rise to more than €400 billion a year - that is 3 per cent of the EU's GDP.

Last year the EU spent €315 billion to import oil, she said, adding that more needed to be done to reduce oil consumption and overall energy consumption

Referring to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, which was held last November/December, she said progress was made, and Europe spoke with one voice in favour of a new global legal framework for climate action that the world so badly needs. In fact, the conference delivered a breakthrough on the international community's response to climate change. 

But the European Commissioner was critical of the recent UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Bonn, saying that the world cannot afford to backtrack form what was agreed in Durban last December.

In a statement she had said: "The EU is almost the only player taking a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and so keeping it alive. Because we believe climate change needs to be addressed in a legally-binding international framework, we are willing to do this, even when other major economies are at present only willing to enter into voluntary commitments.

"But - and it is a big but - we need other major economies and significant emitters to play ball... It is very worrisome that attempts to backtrack have been so obvious and time-consuming in the Bonn talks over the last two weeks. Regrettably, only procedure, no substance was discussed."

Finally, she stressed the importance of more intelligent growth strategies and referred to the forthcoming Rio+20 conference, where world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups will come together in a bid to find concrete ways of reducing poverty, advance social equity, and ensure environmental protection to obtain the future we want.