FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
TO CLIMATE ACTION
ACTING TOGETHER NOW ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Dear Sir/Madam,
You may recall that earlier this year the Minister for Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Leo
Brincat, had presented a Climate Action Bill to the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD). After
wide consultations with all sectors of Maltese society, the Climate Action Act was unanimously approved by the House
of Representatives on June 30, 2015.
The urgent need to address climate change at the national level ultimately depends on cooperation and on the
strengthening of dialogue and trust amongst stakeholders. Counting on the formidable encouragement and support
we received from the members of the MCESD and also due to the fact that the Act itself provides for consultation
with the Council when climate action measures are under consideration, it is, therefore, my pleasure to invite you to
a seminar entitled, ‘Building a local knowledge base for a Low Carbon Economy and Resilience to Climate Change’
that will be held on October 30 at Aula Magna, University of Malta, Valletta. During our previous meeting, you had
expressed the urgent need to build a local knowledge base in order to understand better Malta’s challenges in dealing
with climate change. For this reason members of the academia have also been invited to attend the forthcoming
meeting.
This meeting will be one of a series organised by MEUSAC, the European Commission’s Representation in Malta
and the Maltese Government aimed at reaching out to various sectors of Maltese society namely civil society, nongovernmental organisations, academia, constituted bodies, as well as the business and financial sector and diplomats.
As you may be aware, the international community this year has been mobilised to ensure that the upcoming twentyfirst session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), which will convene in Paris from the November 30 to December 11, will adopt a global, legally binding and
dynamic agreement that should come into force in 2020.
Apart from the outcome of the Paris conference, as an EU Member State, Malta also has a legal commitment to adopt
a low carbon development strategy to ensure that it meets its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets within
stipulated timeframes. Moreover, as a Mediterranean country, Malta needs to ensure resilience in the face of the
severe impact of climate change in the region.
The meeting with MEUSAC Core Group and MCESD members, as well as Academia is intended to stimulate a
discussion:
• the concerns and expectations of our communities to address this unprecedented challenge
• the national requirements to ensure the spread of climate-friendly prosperity
• long-term low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways,building their capacity for resilience
Looking forward to your valid contribution at the upcoming meeting,
Yours sincerely
Simone Borg
Ambassador of Malta on Climate Action