Alfred Sant: Il-gass nukleari u naturali jistgħu jkunu kruċjali fil-ġlieda Ewropea kontra t-tisħin globali

Fil-plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant saħaq li biex jintlaħqu l-miri tal-Patt Ekoloġiku Ewropew, l-ansjetajiet ġustifikati dwar is-sigurtà tal-provvisti tal-enerġija u ż-żieda fl-inflazzjoni globali jridu l-ewwel jittaffew. Biex dan iseħħ huwa importanti ħafna li l-aċċess għal sorsi ta’ enerġija nukleari u tal-gass naturali jiġi stabbilit b’mod flessibbli.

Għal din ir-raġuni, Sant ivvota kontra l-irtirar tal-Att Delegat tal-Klima Kumplimentari tat-Tassonomija tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea dwar il-mitigazzjoni u l-adattament tat-tibdil fil-klima. 

Ir-Regolament dwar it-Tassonomija huwa parti mill-pjan ta’ azzjoni tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-Patt Ekoloġiku. Hija għandha l-għan li tipprevjeni l-“greenwashing”, prattika li tikkummerċjalizza xi ħaġa biex tidher aktar favur l-ambjent jew aktar ekoloġika u li tħeġġeġ lill-investituri jidentifikaw attivitajiet ekonomiċi f’konformità mal-objettivi ambjentali u klimatiċi tagħna. L-Att Delegat Kumplimentari dwar il-Klima imdaħħal mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea jinkludi attivitajiet ekonomiċi addizzjonali mis-settur tal-enerġija fit-Tassonomija Ewropea: is-setturi tal-gass naturali u tal-enerġija nukleari. Dan wassal għal protesti kbar minn attivisti favur l-ambjent li għamlu pressjoni qawwija biex il-Parlament Ewropew jivvota kontra l-Att Delegat Kumplimentari.

Sant irrikonoxxa li l-gass nukleari u naturali mhumiex newtrali għall-ambjent. Madanakollu, joffru mogħdijiet transitorji raġonevoli lejn enerġija li tkun newtrali għall-ambjent. L-attivitajiet tal-gass u nukleari jistgħu jkunu kruċjali biex l-ekonomiji jibqgħu għaddejjin hekk kif l-awtoritajiet pubbliċi jippruvaw jilħqu l-miri tagħhom kontra t-tisħin globali, żied jgħid. Il-MPE Laburista stqarr li l-inklużjoni fit-tassonomija “ħadra” tan-nukleari u l-gass tkopri dan ix-xenarju bl-aktar mod ċar u trasparenti.

278 Membri Parlamentari Ewropej vvutaw favur ir-riżoluzzjoni, 328 kontra u 33 astjenew. Kienet meħtieġa maġġoranza assoluta ta’ 353 Membru Parlamentari Ewropew biex il-Parlament Ewropew iwaqqaf il-proposta tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea milli tidħol fis-seħħ. L-Att Delegat Kumplimentari huwa mistenni li jkun applikabbli mill-1 ta’ Jannar 2023.

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Alfred Sant: Nuclear and natural gas can prove to be crucial in the European fight against global warming 

At the plenary of the European Parliament, Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant stressed that in order to attain the targets of the European Green Deal, justified anxieties about security of energy supplies and rising global inflation must first be allayed. For this to happen it is imperative that access to sources of nuclear and natural gas energy are flexibly put in place.

For this reason, Sant voted against the withdrawal of the European Commission’s Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act on climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

The Taxonomy Regulation is part of the European Commission’s action plan for the Green Deal. It aims to prevent greenwashing,  which is the practice of marketing something to appear more environmentally friendly or more ecological and to encourage investors to identify economic activities in line with our environmental and climate objectives. The Complementary Climate Delegated Act promulgated by the European Commission includes additional economic activities from the energy sector in the European Taxonomy: natural gas and nuclear energy sectors. This has prompted huge protests from green activists who lobbied hard for the European Parliament to vote down the Complementary Delegated Act.

Sant acknowledged that nuclear and natural gas are not environmentally neutral. However, they offer reasonable transitional paths towards environmentally neutral energy. Gas and nuclear activities can prove crucial in keeping economies going as public authorities try to reach their anti-global warming goals, he added. The Labour MEP stated that the inclusion in the “green” taxonomy of nuclear and gas covers this scenario in the clearest and most transparent manner.

278 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, 328 against and 33 abstained. An absolute majority of 353 MEPs was needed for the European Parliament to veto the European Commission’s proposal. The Complementary Delegated Act is expected to be applicable as of 1st January 2023.