Nature Trust joined a European initiative to promote climate change initiatives and urged the Prime Minister to work for an enhanced European commitment on the issue.

The appeal forms part of a European initiative launched by Climate Action Network-Europe, which forms part of a 450-strong global network - Climate Action Network International.

On January 28, the European Commission released a document listing proposals for the EU's position on technology and finance.

Scientists often warned there was little time left to take the necessary measures to ward off catastrophic climate change. Such changes would have negative ecological, social and economic impacts, the president of Nature Trust Malta, Vincent Attard, said.

Malta must work for an international consensus to ensure that an ambitious agreement was adopted at the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December, he said.

A comprehensive climate change policy was urgently needed in Malta and Mr Attard expressed regret at the lack of civil representatives in the government's Climate Change Committee.