Maltese gov’t promises to push pedal to metal on eMobility

Malta is committed to taking action in related to how the sped up economy and globalisation are fuelling climate change and deterioration of our environment, Maltese MEP Miriam Dalli and environment minister Jose A. Herrera said this morning at the first eMobolity Summit held in Malta in the InterContinental hotel. They took the podium after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s opening speech.

“The future of mobility is stimulating,” MEP Ms Dalli said, emphasising it must rely on ecological and environmental sustainability. “This is a new era; globalisation and climate change necessitate traditional economic models to change for more sustainable ones,” Ms Dalli underlined.

She said that climate change is one of the significant challenges that we are facing and if no action is taken severe consequences might be sparked in economic and political stability. “Industry 4.0 is about digitisation, but it should also take a look at the ecological aspects and sustainability … Mobility and transport will be in the focus of the fourth industrial revolution.

The MEP said that the upcoming years will need to be about turning to zero- and low-emission mobility and that the regulatory framework needs to follow these efforts. She added that for such progress, a mix of EU and national legislation could be beneficial.

“We need a culture and mentality shift” in this regard, Ms Dalli said. She added believes industry players now understand the technologies that are needed to meet the EU’s targets related to lowering CO2 emissions.

She also said that cleaner energy and mobility pilots are needed, for which Gozo could be a “testbed”, further confirming PM Joseph Muscat’s announcement of considering Gozo as a location of carrying out a zero-emission zone pilot.

eMobility to revolutionise transportation

Transport plays a significant role in every society, and transportation has arrived at a crossroads, Jose A. Herrera, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, said taking the podium after Ms Dalli. Mr Herrera said he believes eMobility will revolutionise how we think about transportation and working as well.

He mentioned that Maltese private individuals are highly dependent on cars, which has dire implications on the environment as well as on people. “We are striving for a cleaner environment,” minister Herrera said, adding that considering the future of infrastructure in Malta, commitment to electric vehicles is indispensable.

“We owe it to our future generations, and it is our duty to offer a better life in the near future,” the environment minister said. He said everybody needs to team up to discuss what can be done for a better future, including policymakers, authorities, manufacturers and market players.

“If we know our systems are failing our environment we need the courage to change,” he concluded.