Climate plan not ambitious and too passive – experts

Malta’s new 2030 climate plan is “not ambitious and too passive”, an association of renewable energy experts and professionals has lamented, calling for bolder measures to kick-start a new green business model on the island.
In its comments on the draft National Energy and Climate Plan, the Malta Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies Association (Meerea) said the new strategy did not sufficiently build on or evaluate the success of previous plans, limiting itself instead to reporting on them.
The association also said the time had come to address the issue of solar rights – protecting access to the sun from overshadowing by tall buildings – which it said was “negatively impacting the future of renewable energy in the built environment”.
The 2030 plan, published for public consultation last month, lays out the government’s strategy for the next decade under the EU’s long-term climate goals and Paris Agreement commitments.

Among other aspects, it lays out key objectives for Malta of a 19 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 13 per cent share of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030, primarily through vastly-increased solar generation...