The report that the levels of carbon dioxide polluting the air in Malta have dropped by almost 70 per cent in two years is heartening news, especially in view of the alarming global warming report that is expected to be released in Paris today.

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is one of the major causes of global warming and is produced through burning carbon-containing fuels, such as petrol and fuel oil.

Benzene levels are also reported to have dropped markedly in busy thoroughfares in some localities. While these levels have been reduced as a result of the use of cleaner fuels, those of nitrogen dioxide - NO2, a highly poisonous, brown gas produced from the exhaust of vehicles - have, however, remained unchanged since 2003. In places like Sliema, Mosta and Hamrun levels of this toxic air pollutant have actually increased.

Another significant air pollution concern remains the level of fine dust in the air. Dust suspended in Malta's air is invariably present in concentrations that are too high for safety. The damage inflicted by fine dust particles is most dangerous to health because of their ability to penetrate deeply into the respiratory airways and the lungs. Motor exhaust contributes to fine dust in the air. The problem is further exacerbated by the grinding and cutting of stone blocks in quarries and in urban areas, where the smoothing work during construction is performed using equipment devoid of any dust-capturing devices.

While we should be thankful for the improvements overall that have occurred in some areas, the broader picture remains deeply unhealthy. The air pollution that forms a brown sludge over major conurbations represents a threat not only to global warming and climate change, but also to our own health and well-being.

In the presence of sunlight, and especially when the air is warm, toxic car fumes are rapidly converted into worse forms of air pollutants. These infiltrate streets and homes and cause harm, with the worst affected being children (whose lung development may be stunted), the elderly and the infirm.

The government's investment, with EU funding, in two new air monitoring stations has boosted Mepa's ability to monitor air quality. As always, however, while the monitoring stations will add to our detailed knowledge of what we already know - that our air is dirty, polluted and harmful - tangible, long-term action to remedy the situation remains elusive.

The Sustainable Development Strategy for the Maltese Islands, 2007-2016 was released nine months ago. It is not known whether the document has been endorsed by the Cabinet. It should, for among its many excellent targets for priority action, it had this to say about air quality: "Take remedial action to control emissions of air pollutants... and achieve compliance with European standards".

In this - as in so many other areas - the political and administrative will to implement the improvements needed appears lacking. This country has an insatiable appetite for vehicle ownership and use, which must be curbed in order to mitigate its harmful effects to air quality. For example, the people need to be actively encouraged to make use of public transport through the provision of high-quality systems and traffic-management measures. The quarrying and construction industries must be made to reduce the generation of fine dust particles.

These are just some of the nettles which the government must grasp if it is to meet the targets it has set itself. The warnings made by climate experts in Malta in the run-up to the launch of today's global warming report will add more targets that will demand urgent action.