Malta sits among the five countries in the European Union registering the least progress in fighting climate change, according to a new report by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.
The report, ‘Off target: Ranking of EU countries’ ambition and progress in fighting climate change’, assessed the role that member states played in setting ambitious climate and energy targets and policies and what progress they had made in reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency at home.
Malta was given a “very poor” rating and ranked 24th of 29 places, the top spot having been left vacant as no single country was deemed to have performed sufficiently in both showing ambition and making progress in reducing carbon emissions.
Malta was given a ‘very poor’ rating and ranked 24th of 29 places
Only Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland and Poland fared worse than Malta, while Sweden, Portugal and France were awarded the highest ratings.
CAN Europe director Wendell Trio told the Times of Malta the island’s poor ranking had come about since it was on track to miss its renewable energy target and had a low rate of renewables.
Malta is also on track to miss its target on reducing emissions from agriculture, transport and building, and scored poorly on the percentage of EU structural funds that it is using for funding the low carbon transition.
Moreover, Mr Trio said, Malta had no domestic targets on climate and energy beyond the EU target and had been silent overall in the legislative files and absent on the debate on increasing the level of ambition in the EU.
“This all despite Malta’s track record as having been a former member of the small island states coalition that is the biggest advocate for increased climate action due to the huge impact on small island states of rising sea levels.”
In a statement, CAN Europe said the vast majority of European countries were missing the mark and failing to increase the chances of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The NGO said that the ranking came at a decisive time, as in parallel to the adoption of 2030 energy legislation, the EU also needed to start seriously preparing for the next climate summit, COP24, for which countries are expected to commit to putting forward more ambitious 2030 climate targets by 2020.