Maltese are well aware of environmental issues, study shows

Only one per cent of the Maltese population who responded to a Eurobarometer survey think first about "protecting nature" when they talk about the environment.

They are mostly worried about air pollution, they trust international NGOs followed by the EU about environmental issues, and 89 per cent agree that policy-makers should consider the environment to be just as important as economic and social policies.

These findings are contained in a special Eurobarometer report published by the European Commission's DG Environment. It is entitled The Attitudes of European Citizens Towards the Environment.

"The results of this survey are interesting and may indicate that the main concerns of the citizens are perhaps not always well represented in the media where the main emphasis is on nature protection. On the other hand, it is heartening to note that Mepa's vision to safeguard the environment for future generations reflects perfectly the concerns expressed by the respondents," Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja said.

"This survey shows there is high awareness of environmental issues among the Maltese population and like other European citizens they demand a greater commitment to the environment from authorities and decision-makers. Also significant is the fact that the Maltese, like citizens in eight of the other new member states, agree that policy-makers should consider the environment as important as economic and social policies," Mepa director general Godwin Cassar said.