Environment Minister Leo Brincat said green groups were still welcome to nominate a representative on the Climate Action Board despite boycotting the new structure.
The board held its first meeting yesterday and Mr Brincat said the invitation to environmental groups to nominate someone was still open.
“It is a missed opportunity… I respect their decision but they have an open invitation to nominate someone,” he said.
Six environmental groups had taken out newspaper adverts at the beginning of the year to announce the boycott. The decision was primarily motivated by what the green groups argue is the government’s pro-hunting policy.
They protested at a draft legal notice released in December on hunting practices abroad, insisting the government was sending mixed messages about the environment.
Asked about the boycott, Mr Brincat said the place reserved for environmental organisations would remain vacant, adding he did not feel it was right for him to pick and choose a representative.
“I was approached by individuals and other green organisations outside the coalition [that declared the boycott] who expressed a wish to be part of the board but I do not feel I should drive a wedge between them,” Mr Brincat said.
The board is chaired by Simone Borg, who serves as Malta’s climate change ambassador, with economist Philip Von Brockdorff serving as deputy chair.
The board has representatives from every ministry and is tasked with monitoring Malta’s efforts to fulfill its obligations under the UN convention on climate change. It also advises the government on the implementation of the Climate Change Act. The board also includes a representative of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.
The law that created the board was approved unanimously by Parliament and came into force yesterday.
At the first meeting of the board Dr Borg said the new structure was “a huge leap forward” in climate action policy, especially after the UN climate agreement reached in Paris last year. “The formal structure shows Malta’s intention to be pro-active and not just reactive,” she said.