What is the clean energy transition, and what does it mean for the Maltese Islands? These questions were at the centre of the debate during the two-day Clean Energy Academy being organised by the EU’s secretariat ‘Clean energy for EU islands’ in Valletta on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October.
The Clean Energy Academy brought together academics, policy makers, government authorities and NGOs, to discuss the island’s energy transition. We learned about wonderful examples from other European islands in the presentation delivered by organiser Dr Antonia Proka from Clean energy for EU Islands and envisioned the Maltese Islands powered by 100% renewable energy in the talk by Prof. Luciano Mule-Stagno (Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Malta).
Our Climate Campaign Coordinator Dr Suzanne Maas was there as well, speaking about the urgent need to shift to sustainable modes of transport in her presentation on ‘Sustainable Mobility: How do we get there?’, as well as to discuss the concept of community energy and how it could be implemented in Malta in her talk ‘Power to the Maltese people – The potential of renewable energy communities in Malta’.
As a side event to the Academy, and to commemorate Global Climate Change week, on Thursday evening 13 October, Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) together with the Malta Sociological Association (MSA) organised a documentary screening and discussion on the topic of community energy. The film ‘We the Power’ by Patagonia, chronicles local energy cooperatives as they pave the way for a renewable energy revolution and build healthier, more resilient communities. After the documentary, a panel made up of Dr Antonia Proka from REScoop, the European federation of citizen energy cooperatives, Mr Adrian Spiteri, Finance Director at AQS Med, a local renewable energy company, Dr Michael Briguglio (MSA), and Dr Suzanne Maas (FoEM) discussed together with the audience about community energy and how citizens, through renewable energy cooperatives, could play a role in the future of energy in Malta. The inspiring and uplifting documentary, and the engaging discussion, left the hall at the Royal British Legion Bar buzzing with energy.
Stay tuned for more events on the topic of community energy, and our explorations of setting up a renewable energy cooperative in Malta!