Sloppiness, inefficiency and irresponsibility

 

Statement by the Head of the Energy and Environment Bureau of AKEL Christina Nikolaou on the Grant Schemes for the purchase of electric vehicles and scrapping of polluting vehicles

3 December 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The government’s pompous proclamations of a shift towards green transport through the two Plans prepared by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works unfortunately do not meet the needs of neither the country, nor the environment. We expected that the Electrification Plan, which is important for the country, would be coordinated and set specific targets for renewable energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

In principle, the Ministry presented joint plans for households and businesses, with the possibility that the majority of the funds would be absorbed by big enterprises. We believe that there should be a separate budget and a separate grants scheme for households and businesses.

Consumers from vulnerable groups of the population and weaker economic groups have not been prioritised. There are no income criteria in place, and the main assessment criterion is in the first case only the order of submitting an application and in the second case only the age of the vehicle. In addition, the costs set for the purchase of an electric or low-emission vehicle are far too high for them to receive grants for luxury cars too, which should not have been part of the philosophy of such a scheme.

The government and the relevant Ministry must give an answer on the basis of which strategy and National Action Plan the schemes have been set and what percentage of the target for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is being achieved since the electric cars that will be penetrated will use electricity generated from fuel oil.

The new targets set by the EU on the National Energy and Climate Plan are high. Emissions from transport in Cyprus reach 49% and our country is among the countries with low air quality. The Anastasiades-DISY government continues with the same sloppiness, inefficiency and irresponsibility.

AKEL calls on the government to proceed with a strategic plan that should include a plan for the development of renewable energy sources, a shift to electromobility in the public transport network, the storage of energy in order to achieve a real transition to green energy and fulfill the targets set for halting climate change.