"The implementation of the European Green Deal[/B], the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the progress of their implementation, the Fit for 55 legislative initiative for a fifty-five percent (55%) reduction of pollutants by 2030 and the need to plan for the upcoming green transition without economic impacts." was debated by the Plenary of the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 5, with the speaking MPs on the one hand expressing reservations about the achievement of the projected targets, focusing on the cost of achieving them and on the other hand some of them noting that the need to achieve them is inevitable.
The plenary of the legislature debated the issue under Chapter D, which was introduced by a motion of the Democratic Party.
The debate began with a statement by DIPA MP Michalis Yakoumis, who said that today more than ever we need policies that protect greenery and forests, water and air quality, and the seas. He added that the PPCD submitted feasible policy proposals based on the European policy guidelines and the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Republic of Cyprus 2021-30.
He also said that Cyprus has a big challenge ahead of it and must look ahead, think outside the box and prioritise modern practices for ecology, green growth and the further development of renewable energy systems. He cited as examples the need to develop energy storage systems, one stop shop for licensing, integration of floating RES plants which he said is the future, establishment of inclusive energy communities, further incentives for electric cars, biofuels and a methodical transition to green cities.
EPP President Marinos Sizopoulos who then took the floor said that green development has huge and multiple dimensions. He added that the war in Ukraine highlighted the need to decouple energy sufficiency from conventional fuels and accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal.
Sizopoulos referred to the huge sums spent on buying greenhouse pollutants that could be used for social and development purposes. Sizopoulos mentioned some of the EPP's proposals for decoupling from traditional energy sources and the development of renewable sources and the advent of natural gas. He also referred to the European Parliament's decision on the Eastmed pipeline. He also expressed the view that alternative ways of exploiting the natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean are needed. He added that no funding should be lost to Cyprus for the green transition.
Independent MEP Andreas Themistocleous expressed the position that climate change is happening from the first minute of the creation of the earth and that it will continue to happen until the end of its life. If the dinosaurs had been ecologists there would not be life on the planet today, he said. He spoke of a barrage of bought studies from universities on global warming, making the point that there is too much misinformation that has many blind silences. He also expressed the view that it is warming that is leading to an increase in carbon dioxide. He further stated that climate change as it was called was global warming and when some Nobel laureates reacted and made a fool of themselves, the rulers renamed it climate change. He also said it was a big fraud to blame climate change on human activity. Finally, he said that if Europe really wants to become independent of Russian gas, the Eastmed pipeline should not be removed from the plan to meet Europe's energy needs.
The MEP of the Ecologist Movement Alexandra Attalidou, referring to the European Green Agreement, said that through it the EU is trying to maintain its important role in new green technologies, citing China's superiority in the fields of solar and wind energy and the electrification of transport. He also expressed the view that despite the Government's announcements, it is perversely managing the Green Deal.
The President of the Green Movement, Haralambos Theopeptou, warned that changes are coming to the way energy is taxed, explaining that with the change, taxation will be measured by emissions of pollutants and will be higher than what is paid now. He said that too many cars are a big problem for Cyprus, adding that alternative means of transport should be promoted.
ELAM MP Linos Papagiannis said that Europe and the planet are at a critical crossroads and expressed strong reservations about the green deal, noting indications of shortages of essentials. Papagiannis said that fuel taxes and the cost of fertilizers are pushing consumers in the occupied territories to buy fuel and farmers to buy fertilizers of dubious quality. He went on to say that Cyprus is filled with golf courses which are a burden on the ecosystem and most of which are closed. He also questioned why Cypriots should be burdened with additional taxes when countries such as Russia, the US, India and others burden the environment at no cost. He also said that any environmental policy will only succeed if it offers a vision for a better quality of life. The next generation will be asked to pay higher costs than what they can afford, he said.
DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis, referring to greenhouse gas emissions, said that Cyprus should claim special funding to enable citizens to invest in renewable sources. He added that forests and agriculture have been affected in recent years and expressed reservations whether Cyprus will be able to meet its targets.
MP of the same party Chryssis Pantelidis said that the European Green Deal will be discussed for the next few years. He said that we must realise that it is the EU's most ambitious project, adding that it requires an admission that the agreement is not an option but a one-way street and that it will have economic consequences. He also expressed the view that for decades humanity has taken a short-sighted approach to environmental protection. He also said that those who stopped the arrival of natural gas in Cyprus in 2007 should be self-critical.
AKEL MP Nikos Ketteros said that the extreme weather phenomena no longer allow for complacency, as they have led to disasters. He said the Green Agreement was staking its success on axes that had already failed, adding that it would mean new taxes would be imposed on the poorest. He went on to express the view that there will be increases in fares and tickets and questioned how we will achieve the objectives of the Agreement since we have not achieved what we should have achieved so far. The government's green policy is reminiscent of the 'green horse' story, he continued. He also referred to AKEL's proposals for green development.
AKEL MP Kostas Kostas said that it is not enough to set targets but you need to know the sign to achieve them. He added that projects were financed that were not implemented to cover 16% of energy needs with renewable energy sources. He also said that responsibility must be attributed for the terminal in Vasilikos and spoke of huge incompetence in the management of the energy sector.
DISY MP Prodromos Alabritis said that climate change concerns the whole spectrum of society. He added that if we do not act immediately and do not implement the targets set, we will not achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
DISY MP Onoufrios Koulla said that if the noble goal of climate neutrality, to go to 100% clean energy is not achieved in 2050, it can be achieved at least in 2055. At the same time he observed that the target will not be achieved by itself because it is not economically profitable to be promoted by the market. He expressed the view that better technology in energy storage is needed as renewables do not produce continuous energy. He added that technologies for solar thermal and hydrogen are in their infancy. He added that there is no magic way to get natural gas from Cypriot deposits. He said that the question is not to reach the 2050 target but how to reach this target.
The MP of the same party Kyriakos Hatzigiannis expressed the view that the composition of the current RAEK is such that it gives hope for the achievement of the targets.
The MP of the same party Kyriakos Hatzigiannis expressed the view that the composition of the current RAEK is such that it gives hope for the achievement of the targets. He added that the road to climate neutrality is a marathon and expressed the view that the huge costs must be shared fairly. Hatzigiannis said that the uncontrolled course of energy and other commodity prices that emerged after the war in Ukraine are crushing the resilience of society and the economy.
Source: CNA
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