Climate Action Authority submits progress report as PN notes government failures

The Climate Action Authority said on Wednesday it had handed the European Commission Malta’s progress report on the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).

Its statement came shortly after the PN observed that according to a new European Commission report, Malta’s greenhouse gas emissions under the Effort Sharing Regulation had skyrocketed by a shocking 30.6% in 2023 compared to 2005 levels – one of the highest increases in the EU.

The Climate Action Authority said that in the energy sector, Malta's transition away from heavy fuel oil (in the power station), the planned second electricity interconnector, and upcoming large-scale battery storage systems will significantly cut emissions. By 2030, emissions from power generation are expected to fall by 77% compared to 2005. 

The share of renewable energy is set to rise to nearly 25% of total energy use by 2030. It was 15.08% in 2023.

Offshore wind projects will further support long-term decarbonisation.

In the waste sector, new sorting facilities, organic treatment, landfill gas capture, and waste-to-energy technologies will drive emissions down by an estimated 59% by 2030 compared to 2021.

The authority added that transport remains the largest contributor to Malta’s ESR (Effort Sharing Regulation) emissions. The  National Energy and Climate Plan outlines ongoing initiatives promoting electric vehicles, improved infrastructure, and mobility reforms.

Greater and more holistic efforts are still needed, it admits, with work underway to identify stronger interventions.

It added that recent regulations and initiatives in the building sector encourage the implementation of sustainable technologies, battery storage, photovoltaics, and energy efficiency. New buildings that reach height limits will be required to include renewable systems.

Incentives will also encourage energy-efficient home purchases.

The authority said more attention is needed on sustainable practices in the commercial sector.

PN blasts government failures

The Nationalist Party observed that according to a European Commission report, Malta’s greenhouse gas emissions under the Effort Sharing Regulation had skyrocketed by 30.6% in 2023 compared to 2005 levels – one of the highest increases in the EU. 

"This is not merely a statistic; it's an indictment of a government that is steering Malta in the wrong direction," the PN said. 

"Not only are emissions rising when they should be drastically falling, but the Government's own National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) projects a further 29.4% increase in emissions by 2030, a stark failure of Malta's binding EU target to reduce emissions by 19%."

The PN pointed out that while a reported 15.1% renewable energy use in 2023 showed a slight uptick, Malta's proposed national contribution of 24.5% for 2030 was deemed "insufficient" by the European Commission, which stated it should be at least 28%.

The PN also criticised the government for inaction on climate adaptation measures, despite clear and present threats from water scarcity, extreme heat, and rising sea levels.

"The government has still not authored a climate vulnerability risk assessment, let alone drafted policy to mitigate the impact of the changing climate," it said.

There was a critical failure to improve energy efficiency, particularly with slow progress in renovating buildings (especially residential) and insufficient promotion of solutions like heat pumps.

The government also had no policy on how to reduce methane emissions from existing landfills.   

The PN statement was signed by Eve Borg Bonello, shadow minister for climate change, Ryan Callus, shadow minister for energy and Rebekah Borg, shadow minister for the environment