Energy, transport and waste management : a review of Maltese policies to combat climate change

Abstract

As the year 2020 draws closer, European Member States strive harder to reach their individual mandatory targets for the share of renewable energy in their total final energy consumption. Malta has joined the European Union in May 2004 and has since then, worked towards achieving the required compliance of national energy policies to the relevant EU Directives. Malta has also prepared a number of documents dealing with the main three sectors affecting climate change namely, energy, transport and waste management. Besides, Malta has to achieve 10% share of renewable energy in the final energy consumption by 2020, as well as 10% share of bio fuels in the transport sector. Moreover, Malta should also reduce its electricity consumption in public buildings by 9% by 2016. Within the scope of climate change, Malta has no obligations within the Kyoto Protocol but this could change when Malta applies to become an Annex 1 Member at the Conference of Parties meeting in December 2009 in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, within the European Union Emission Trading System (EU-ETS), only the emissions from Malta’s two power stations fall under this system. The Commission has decided that Malta’s emissions for the period 2008-2012 should not exceed 2.1 Million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (European Allowance Units EAUs) per year. This is already proving to be a hard challenge to meet, given the projected increase in electricity demand. This paper outlines the current efforts that would contribute towards achieving the renewable energy targets and curbing of carbon dioxide emissions, mainly focusing on energy, transport and waste management. Three different scenarios are also presented for the plausible contribution of different renewable energy sources in the energy mix. It is noted that a number of important plans and policies have been drafted during 2009 and have still to be transposed to national legislation. However, the race against time has already started and it would clearly require a strong political will to drive Malta towards a cleaner energy mix, achieve the RE binding targets and avoid paying non-compliance penalties.