Will 2015 prove to be the sustainability year?

Next year should not only culminate with the long awaited and decisive Climate Summit in Paris but by the fall the UN should hopefully have in place a new set of sustainable development goals to replace the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals).

The core issue that the ordinary man in the street is asking is how will all this translate in real terms?

Will Malta further, delay or stall such a process?

Our collective responsibility cannot be undervalued or downplayed.

There can be no moving of the goal posts.

2015 has long been earmarked as the special year for development given that it is the deadline for achieving the 2015 MDGs and for putting their replacement in place.

The post 2015 goals

The Government firmly believes that focus on poverty eradication and sustainable development, with the ultimate scope of improving people’s lives around the world, should be top on our agenda.

Designating 2015 as the European Year for Development was also rather timely.

This will clearly show our citizens what the EU is doing in this important policy area, particularly in the run up to the Summit in September.

The EU should be vocal in steering the debate, particularly on issues which are dear to the EU and to this end we are duty bound to welcome the Council Conclusions on the Transformative Agenda. As we indeed did.

It is important that the EU be firm not only in defending its priorities, which may indeed cut across traditional divides, but also in playing the role of a bridge builder.

Areas such as the rule of law, democratic governance, human rights, peaceful societies and sustainable growth are important areas of focus.

The post 2015 process should be based on a comprehensive and coherent framework which will be imperative to the achievement of effective delivery and significant results at all levels. Malta is not only pleased to note efforts being made to ensure the full integration of the environmental dimension of sustainable development in the post-2015 agenda, but we also welcome particularly the inclusions of biodiversity.

Climate change and sustainable development undertakings are significant in further thrusting forward a greener region.

We recognise the principle of mainstreaming biodiversity in order to contribute significantly to sustainable development goals. 

Moreover, we believe that an inclusive green economy plays an important role towards achieving these goals by ensuring greening of all economic sectors and society.

While we are fully committed to deliver results in this area we are of the opinion that the attainment of such targets should be at the prerogative of the Member State.

These are the points that I made during the recent EU Ministerial Council.

These also happen to be the values and priorities that I cherish and strongly believe in.

There is no doubt that better integration and communication provide a key interface to enable the transition towards the SD goals.

We have a responsibility to support society with the necessary tools, to be able to integrate such an approach.

Malta believes that an ecosystem approach needs to be adopted to be able to reconcile economic growth, the eradication of poverty and improve the management of our resources. 

Policies based on sustainable development principles are not only able to provide the necessary steer to economic sectors but also towards a greener and sustainable society.

The tapping of the full growth and jobs potential of the green economy will depend on improving environmental integration and policy coherence across the EU.

We can green our economies while promoting competitiveness, growth and employment.