In a letter sent to the Environmental Landscape Consortium, the NGOs Greenhouse, Nature Trust Malta and Friends of the Earth expressed their concern about the consortium’s unsustainable practices.

While the NGOs expressed the acknowledgement that the ELC had brought about a change in the rural environmental landscape of the Maltese islands, they voiced concerns on the rationale behind the excessive pruning of various trees which provide roosting sites for birds and shady places for passers-by especially during the summer months.

Trees at the Mrieħel bypass, Naxxar, Valletta and other places have been defoliated extensively risking the survival of such trees. The landscaping with alien species has been a recurrent concern for many people.

Species such as the Hottentot fig have been used risking their escape into the surrounding countryside where they have the ability to become invasive to the detriment of native biota.

In this letter the organisations question what type of pest management is used by ELC and if any precautions are used if pesticides are applied and why do ELC insist on planting annuals instead of perennials so as to reduce the amount of organic waste produced. They also raised the issue of water use in areas where turf is being planted as this poses a high maintenance and high water quantity needs – when our islands are struggling to ensure a sustainable water supply.

The organisations feel that with improvement on the landscape practices the ELC can bring about a positive change but if the above concerns are not addressed the NGOs feel the urban environment will become greener at the expense of other environmentally related elements.