Clean energy transition: EU islands provide the ideal platform

The first step for clean energy is to bring EU islands together, recognising that with their strong sense of community and their territorial potential, they can be the architects of their own energy transition, Energy Minister Joe Mizzi said.

The minister was addressing the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ forum currently taking place in Crete, Greece.

 “Our strategy is focused on energy diversification and the need to secure affordable energy prices. On the basis of this strategy, in the past four years, we have carried out an overhaul of the energy sector, making the switch towards gas-fired power plants,” the minister said. 

Thanks to the interconnector, Malta is also connected to mainland Europe and is currently in the planning phase of developing a gas pipeline connecting to Italy.

In a bid to encourage the use of renewable energy, the government launched various schemes to enhance the uptake of solar panels.

“But our geographical space restricts our energy potential. We can relate to the challenges faced by the other islands and we believe that these challenges require tailor-made solutions,” Mizzi said.

“On this premise, the ‘Valletta Declaration on Clean Energy for EU Islands’ established three main action points, whereby the signatories stated their joint determination to further promote and support tailor-made clean energy transitions for islands, while preserving security of supply.”

Mizzi argued that the energy transition cannot be a top-down approach.

“The Clean Energy Transition will not happen without multi-stakeholder action, including private investors,” he said, adding that islands provide the ideal platform for pilot initiatives on the transition to clean energy.

Between January and June, Malta chaired the EU presidency during which the government successfully negotiated the Gas Security of Supply Regulation, and the Energy Efficiency Labelling Regulation with the European Parliament. An agreement on the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Performance of Buildings Directive was also reached.

Today’s high-level event included Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, who both acknowledged that the forum was brought together thanks to the impetus of the declaration signed in Malta.