Climate change: health, fossil fuels and the excessive deficit procedure

During July 2023’s heatwave, in Malta, it was reported that 21 persons died of dehydration and other heat-related symptoms. The heatwave was compounded by repeated power cuts, which made matters much worse.

News agencies are reporting that intense heat in Saudi Arabia has, by the time of writing, has been the cause of over 1000 deaths of Hajj pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca.

Various environmental websites are commenting on a report just published by researchers at the University of Portsmouth on the heat risks of the Paris Olympics, due next month. The report, entitled Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics, warns, that excessive heat could result in athletes collapsing or even dying when participating in sporting events.

The report makes reference to the deadly 2003 heatwave in France: then, 14,000 persons died as a result of heat-related symptoms.

Much worse is expected this year. 2023 was the warmest year ever. The global average temperature during 2023 has surpassed the threshold of a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase over the pre-industrial age temperature agreed to at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit.

The European continent is warming at an alarming rate, much faster than other regions. The Mediterranean is much worse off. Earlier this week Euronews has reported that as heatwaves hit Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, death tolls are rising. In Crete, Athens and the Peloponnese peninsula temperatures have soared above the 40-degree mark, exceeding 44 degrees in Crete.

This is the present, unfolding before our eyes. The future can be much worse. It is not yet inevitable; however, it may soon well be. Earlier this year the European Environment Agency published the first European climate risk assessment. In a 425-page report we were told that climate change is a multiplier of risks: existing risks will get much worse. We are extremely slow in developing and implementing climate change adaptation strategies. Climate risks are growing much faster than our preparedness.

The impacts of climate change effect all of us, but most of all they effect the vulnerable amongst us. Whether it is floods or drought, extremes of temperatures or rising sea levels, at the end of the day it is the vulnerable and the poor who shoulder most of the burden which results. Environmental degradation and social injustice are intertwined.

Earlier this week Brussels has warned the tenant at Castille Place that Malta is risking being subject to the excessive deficit procedure in view of its excessive budget deficit. Among the essential measures, Brussels is insisting, once more, that Malta addresses fuel and energy subsidies as well as traffic congestion.

While fuel subsidies can be done away with the soonest, it is a different story with energy subsidies. They need to be redesigned in order to focus on helping the vulnerable. It does not make sense to subsidise everyone and everything.

Similarly with traffic congestion. We need to encourage activity which does not need a car. For example, the proliferation of supermarkets all over the island is making matters worse. Encouraging local shops of various sizes would encourage the regeneration of various urban areas and contribute to a reduction of car movements in our roads.

In this sense the regeneration of green spaces in or close to urban areas is a splendid idea. However, to make sense this initiative has to be integrated within an urban vision which places the human person and his/her needs at the centre of our land use planning.

A possible solution is the 15-minute city concept, mostly associated with Paris and architect Carlos Moreno. This initiative seeks to address our needs and integrating them with those of nature.

The aim is to encourage self-sufficient communities, where all basic needs are just a walk, or a bike ride away from your home. As a result, we would gradually be addressing our addiction to the car, which, as a result we would need less and less. There would even be less need of fuel subsidies. It is a realistic future, particularly in a small country, where almost everywhere is a stone’s throw away.

This is a practical application of the principle of urban proximity, as a result of which cities move away from the use of fossil fuels into a vehicle free era. It is the mobility modal shift we require in this day and age to effectively deal with the emissions linked to private transport. Thereby addressing subsidies, climate change and the excessive deficit procedure too!

This is the ideal future. Ensuring an adequate quality of life and respecting our surroundings.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 23 June 2024

Institutional fragmentation obstructs good governance

Some seek to deceive themselves and others when they proclaim their conviction that there is no conflict between the economy and the environment. The current state of affairs in all areas of environmental importance is precisely the result of this conflict.

This conflict is continuously manifested through various natural phenomena: nature’s retaliatory actions to the mismanagement of the earth’s resources. Currently climate change tops the list of nature’s defensive actions in the ongoing conflicts resulting from the impacts of the economy on the environment.

The impacts of climate change effect all of us, but most of all they effect the vulnerable among us. Whether it is floods or drought, extremes of temperatures or rising sea levels, at the end of the day it is the vulnerable and the poor who shoulder most of the burden which results when the earth cries. “Cry of the earth, cry of the poor”, we were told many years ago by Brazilian Franciscan liberation theologian Leonardo Boff. Environmental degradation and social injustice are intertwined.

Emissions to air, sea or land: all of them have an impact, generally a cumulative one, which contaminate in various ways the air we breathe, the sea and its resources and all sorts of natural resources all around us. These impacts generally take time to leave their mark and as a result of this time lag, generally, they are ignored until it is almost too late to act.

Parliament is currently debating the setting up of a Climate Change Authority. Concluding the debate at second reading stage, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli emphasized that climate action requires everyone’s contribution. Yes Minister, that is correct: however, it also requires consistency on the part of the executive. One cannot advocate addressing climate change at the same time as dishing out fossil fuel subsidies, as government has been doing for quite some time.

To address climate change we require a behavioral change. Having public transport available at no cost was a courageous step which seeks to address this behavioral change through encouraging a modal shift in our mobility requirements. On its own, however, this is definitely not enough.

In order to facilitate this modal shift to take place, it is essential that, simultaneously with free public transport one should discourage the use of private transport. Removing the fossil fuel subsidies the soonest would be a step in this direction.

Likewise, the heavy investment in road infrastructure aiming to facilitate traffic management also encourages more traffic on the road. It has been proven by studies carried out in a multitude of other countries that infrastructural interventions in the road network will, in the end, increase traffic congestion because they end up generating more traffic. This is actually happening around us too!

A stronger push towards a behavioral change would address both our deficits: our fiscal deficit as well as our environmental deficit.

The electrification of transport would definitely help in reducing climate change impacts. It will not however contribute to the modal shift in addressing our mobility requirements.

The fact that in most cases travelling distances in Malta are small should facilitate the effort. As emphasized by the National Transport Masterplan we ought to realise that fifty per cent of trips with private cars in the Maltese islands are for distances having a duration of less than 15 minutes. Further, these trips cover an average distance of 5.5 kilometers. This signifies that half of the trips with private cars cover mobility needs within areas which are within easy reach of either local public transport or else can be covered by walking or cycling. Addressing adequately just this statistic could reduce substantially cars from our roads without in any way impacting our mobility needs. In addition, substantial emissions contributing to climate change would also be reduced.

This is what we call a low-lying fruit in the management and implementation of environmental policy. It is an objective which is not so difficult to attain. Yet it is unfortunately ignored.

A positive step taken by the Robert Abela led administration is the apparent shelving of the proposed undersea tunnel between Malta and Gozo. Studies carried out have clearly shown that the economic viability of the tunnel was dependent on increasing by about three times the car movements between Malta and Gozo. As a result, additional environmental impacts would have been created!

I speak of an “apparent shelving” as the matter is not yet clear. Government has not made any statement on its intentions even though it is clear that it has had second thoughts on the whole matter, as it is no longer “a priority”.

The fragmentation of the institutions intended for environmental governance does not lead to good governance. It rather obstructs it. It would have been more appropriate if the functions assigned to the proposed Climate Change Authority had been assigned to the Environment and Resources Authority. The consolidation of environmental functions would be appropriate in view of the smallness of our territories. It would also be more effective.

published on The Malta Independent on Sunday: 25 February 2024

The 15-minute city

Every city can benefit from a reconsideration of its urban priorities. In this era of climate change various cities around the world have taken initiatives in order to contribute their share to the achievement of carbon neutrality. The 15-minute city is one such initiative which reimagines the urban fabric in order to prioritise people over cars, in the process reducing the carbon footprint: “ville du quart d’heure”, the “quarter hour city”. 

It is a vision which is mostly associated with Paris and is the brainchild of Carlos Moreno (in photo above) an architect advising the Mayor of Paris. It has however been also applied in various other cities around the world. The aim is to encourage self-sufficient communities, where all basic needs are just a walk, or a bike ride away from your home, as a result slowly addressing our addiction to the car which we would need less and less.

This is a practical application of urban proximity, as a result of which cities move away from the use of fossil fuels into a vehicle free era. It is the mobility modal shift we require in this day and age to effectively deal with the emissions linked to private transport.

It is not always easy to apply these ideas in established urban areas where land use patterns and infrastructure is already in place. However, it is a practical way of integrating policy derived from climate change objectives with land use planning.

In Malta distance is not an issue, as everywhere is already almost within easy reach. We do not need any special effort in this respect. Our National Transport Masterplan, in fact, advises us that 50 per cent of trips carried out by our cars are for short distances, having a duration of less than 15 minutes. Within this context, achieving 15-minute cities should not be that difficult if we put our heads together to address it.

In a post Covid era, working from home is increasing in frequency, although this is not possible for all types of work. This reduces our travel requirements.

We must also be able to address our basic needs for food and medicine in our locality. For this to materialise we need however to ensure that small and medium sized businesses in our localities are encouraged to stay open for business notwithstanding the stiff competition which they continuously face from big business.  There are ways in which they can be assisted to overcome the difficulties they face. This is not only in their interest but more in the interest of the community they serve.

The supermarkets mushrooming around the islands is a case in point. Each supermarket has a substantial catchment area. Most users of supermarkets travel by private car to do their shopping when it most suits them. In an age when most of us are more conscious of the fact that private car use is a significant contributor to Malta’s climate change impacts, we should factor this into land use planning considerations.

Some may argue that supermarkets, as a result of their economies of scale, provide goods at substantially reduced prices from that possible in small or medium sized retail outlets in our localities.  It has however to be viewed also in the context of expenses incurred not only in car use but also in the resulting reduction to the air quality and the associated health consequences. Expenses incurred, at the end of the day, are not only those measured in euro, they are also measured in terms of the social and environmental costs incurred.

We need to ensure that our localities are equipped to live up to present day challenges. Ensuring their self-sufficiency would definitely be an adequate objective which can be achieved through the development of 15-minute cities.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 4 February 2024

Life without fossil fuels!

The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) meeting at Dubai has finally concluded that we need to be weaned off fossil fuels. The wrangling on the contents of the final statement of the Conference is reflected in the said contents which, as usual, has too many loopholes, intended to keep everybody on board and happy.

The international community has been lauding the conclusions of one climate summit after the other, yet the situation on the ground keeps getting worse. When push comes to shove the willingness to act starts dissipating.

A fossil fuel phase out is inevitable. Its consideration has been objected to time and again.  COP 28 had no option (at this late hour) but to bow to the inevitable, notwithstanding the various attempts by the petrostates to avoid it. As emphasised by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “let us hope it is not too late.”

The year 2023 has been the year with the highest temperatures and extreme weather in recorded history confirming that so far climate action mitigation has been practically ineffective.

Where do we go from here? Beyond the nice, politically correct words expressed, implementation is now the key word.

I will limit myself to Malta, for the time being.  Implementing the COP 28 conclusion of a fossil fuel phase out, as a minimum would signify that the state should (at least) not encourage fossil fuel consumption.

Government should now walk its talk and start implementation through the immediate removal of petrol and diesel subsidies as well as through a more focused energy pricing policy, limiting energy pricing subsidies to basic household consumption needs. We should not need any prompting for that.

If Robert Abela’s declarations in favour of island states which are threatened by the projected sea level rise are to have any meaning, he should ensure that his government takes immediate action.

I am aware that this is wishful thinking, as unfortunately Abela’s government speaks one language in international fora and a completely different one back home.

All governments, the Maltese one being no exception, are reluctant to face the reality that decisions leading to a different lifestyle are urgently required.

Life without fossil fuels means that we have to generate the electricity we require from alternative sources. It also means that we have to get our priorities right, signifying that we must also plan to consume much less energy.

Government, at times, assumes that a substantial part of our energy needs will be catered for through the two Malta-Sicily energy interconnectors, one in place and another one planned. Apart from serious issues of energy sovereignty, we have through experience learned that this alternative source of energy is susceptible to storm damage which is not always easily repaired.  In addition, this does not factor in wilful damage as experienced in the Baltic quite recently where the damage done to an undersea gas pipeline is most probably the result of wilful damage.

In the years to come the electrification of transport, particularly that of private vehicles, will place a considerable strain on Malta’s energy consumption.  This can be avoided if instead of a direct shift from fossil fuel transport to electric transport more emphasis is placed on the need for a modal shift.

A modal shift would signify that we address more of our mobility needs through public transport and alternative sustainable means. The smallness of the Maltese islands makes such a shift possible, practical and most rewarding.

Such a modal shift would definitely lead to a change of lifestyle. It will not however diminish our quality of life or standard of living. It will rather enhance it through cleaner air quality and safer streets.

It would be pertinent to remember that a sea level rise will play havoc with Malta’s infrastructure. In such circumstances Malta should be at the forefront in ensuring an early implementation of COP 28 conclusions.

At Dubai Robert Abela spoke in favour of urgent action to protect island states from sea level rise. At home, in contrast, he keeps dishing out subsidies which budget after the other encourage fossil fuel use.

We are clearly, fast approaching the end of the road.  Much more needs to be done to translate the multitude of politically correct words into meaningful action. Robert Abela could start by being consistent.  

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 17 December 2023

Small is always beautiful

The Gozo Regional Development Strategy document, published for public consultation last week, is different from the crap which is usually fed into the consultation process.

It makes sense to speak of Gozo as an island of villages, reminiscent of German-born British econpmist E.F.Schumacher’s opus Small is beautiful. This is precisely the reason why Greens in Malta have continuously opposed the monstrous underwater tunnel between Malta and Gozo.

The tunnel would, among other things, discard Gozo’s unique characteristics. As a result of the projected tunnel, Gozo would no longer be an island of villages: it would be transformed into one village, one of many in the Maltese archipelago.

It is heartening, after so many years, for Labour in government, to realise this basic fact and start speaking some sense on regional planning and development.  It is definitely never too late to learn from past mistakes!

This is, however, just the beginning. Only time will tell whether this is just another exercise in greenwashing.

Many years ago, the Greens in Malta had proposed a specific target for Gozo’s Regional Development Strategy: Gozo as an eco-island. Government’s proposals are possibly slowly inching in that direction. It could do much better if it specifies this objective clearly and, in more detail, instead of going round in circles. This would necessarily mean having long-term behavioural change as a strategic objective, embedded in the Gozo document.

The proposed strategy speaks on the objective of a sustainable urban environment. Yet, the 2021 census report on residential property, just published, indicates that Gozo is the region with the highest proportion of vacant/under-used residential property in the Maltese islands. It is currently quantified at 45 per cent of the Gozitan housing stock. By no stretch of the imagination can this be classified as “sustainable”. 

It is a tough nut to crack overdevelopment which has been left to its own jungle rules for so long. A moratorium on large-scale development is an essential prerequisite as a first step to bring our house in order. This is an objective which I have been speaking on for ages. Its applicability should not be restricted to the Gozitan mainland.

The strategy rightly speaks on carbon neutrality and suggests that this could be achieved in Gozo much earlier than its attainment on the Maltese mainland. The generation of more renewable energy is one of the contributing elements to achieving this goal.

Another important measure is that of addressing the use of private cars. Applying a sustainable transport policy is crucial in this respect.

The strategy indicates that second thoughts on the undersea tunnel are possibly in the pipeline. This would potentially reduce a substantial number of cars from Gozitan roads.

It is pertinent to remember that the Gordon Cordina’s “feasibility study” on the Gozo tunnel had opined that car movements between the islands had to treble from 3,000 to 9,000 daily in order to ensure economic feasibility of the projected tunnel. 

If this issue is settled by shelfing the tunnel project, the number of cars on the road would still need to be addressed forcefully to inch our way towards carbon neutrality.

Small distances between localities in Gozo would be an encouragement to use public transport if this were more efficient: both punctual and frequent. The benefits resulting through such a transport modal shift would be substantial.

Transport electrification will not do much to achieve carbon neutrality. While contributing to a better air quality in our streets it would however add substantially to the daily consumption of electricity and make it much more difficult to achieve carbon neutrality. Hence the need for a modal shift.

There is also the issue of restricting car movements between the islands which the strategy ignores. Applying the polluter pays principle, an integral part of Maltese environmental law, one could consider the introduction of a congestion charge for private cars crossing over from Malta to Gozo.

This could work wonders to achieving a better air quality. It would also free Gozitan streets from a continuous vehicular invasion.

Small is really beautiful. Let us translate this reality into a better quality of life for all. The draft Gozo Regional Development strategy document is an opportunity which, if properly managed, can lead in this direction.

Published in The Times of Malta : 19 September 2023