Energy intensity of growth

Is our economic growth becoming cleaner?

Energy consumption continues to rise, growing by 61% between 1990 and 2002, and this trend is expected to continue. Malta's total energy generated per unit GDP (at constant prices) has risen sharply, particularly since 2002, after declining during the 1990s.

Major contributing factors to this change in direction may be related to the sharp rise in energy generation since the hot summer of 2003 as compared to the rate of GDP growth, which has been slower.

This trend is a matter of concern since it indicates that Malta is moving away from "cleaner" economic growth. There is an urgent need to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and limit CO2 emissions from power plants to levels stipulated in Malta's National Allocation Plan under the EU GHG Emissions Trading Scheme.

The State of the Environment Report 2005 is a MEPA publication available on www.mepa.org.mt