The increased knowledge on the environment was due to the investment and importance given to environmental education in recent years, Resources Minister George Pullicino said.

In a message on the occasion of the internatioanl day dedicated to climate protection, the minister said that more than 100 schools had joined the Eco-School initiative, a forum aimed at preparing the young generation on important environmental matters.

Speaking during a visit to Our Lady Immaculate School in Ħamrun, Mr Pullicino said the challenges of climate change were among the most urgent and important and measures had to be taken in a timely manner.

Malta now had a strategy on measures to mitigate climate change and it would soon have a strategy on adaptation measures, building on the first document.

These strategies provided the basis for concrete action which, in many cases, had already started to be taken. Such action included the closure of uncontrolled rubbish dumps, the recovering of their bad gases and their rehabilitation.

Measures had also been taken to encourage more individuals and companies invest in clean energy generating equipment, studies were being undertaken for land and sea windfarms to be set up, government buildings were being covered with clean energy generating equipment, the public transport reform would encourage more people to use public transport, there were plans to generate energy from waste, better agricultural practices were being encouraged and initiatives for the sustainability of the aquifer were being taken.