Marco Cremona resigns from Sustainable Development Network

Everester and hydrologist Marco Cremona, one of the country’s major advocates for sustainable water use, has resigned from the Sustainable Development Network set up by the former Nationalist government.

Although Cremona resigned in January, citing lack of resources and funding for the committee, neither Cremona’s resignation nor the appointment of new members on the network were announced to the public.

Originally appointed by former environment minister Mario de Marco in 2012, Cremona was the only member of the network retained by the new Labour government.

“We saw no reason why Cremona’s resignation should have been treated differently in the media from other changes in the Network’s composition,” a spokesperson for Minister Leo Brincat told MaltaToday when asked why Cremona’s resignation was kept under wraps.

The new appointees include Nature Trust committee member Graziella Cavlan and four top civil servants.

In his resignation letter Cremona referred to the severe lack of resources, financial and otherwise, which had crippled the committee, as the main reason for resigning.

He also made a number of recommendations to help improve the situation, including an overhaul of the sustainable development strategy and the setting up of an adequately resourced Office for Sustainable Development equipped with executive powers to cross-check major national projects, policies and plans against pre-defined sustainability criteria, emanating from a new Sustainable Development Strategy.

In the last budget the government allocated a paltry €20,000 for the formulation of a Sustainable Development National Strategy.  No funds were allocated for this aim by the previous government.

“For the first time the government has allocated funds for the revision of the draft Sustainable Development Strategy for the Maltese Islands 2007-2016,” the ministry spokesperson told MaltaToday.

According to the spokesperson, the main focus of the Sustainable Development Network is the revision of this strategy.

The network is chaired by Alfred Quintano and currently includes Michelle Borg, Joshua Zammit, Mark Causon and Graziella Cavlan. The committee also includes Joseph Caruana, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Mark Musù, permanent secretary Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity, and Nancy Caruana, permanent secretary Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business. Claudine Sciberras represents the Office of the Prime Minister.

Since its appointment the Network held six plenary meetings, four of which in the presence of minister Leo Brincat. Meetings were also held with Ian Borg, parliamentary secretary for EU Funds, the Malta Council for Science and Technology and the Institute of Gerontology.

In addition, the Sustainable Development Network held three joint meetings with the Guardian of Future Generations, another body established by the Sustainable Development Act. Another meeting was held with the Institute of Gerontology.

The Network has also participated in the launch of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development held in Malta last February.