An engineer and government advisor with specialised experience in climate action will head a new government agency to coordinate Malta’s efforts on climate change.

The government made the announcement on Friday, the same day when a legal notice established the authority. 

In a statement, the environment ministry said that Abigail Cutajar, a government advisor on energy and climate action, will serve as CEO of the newly established Climate Action Authority (CAA).

“Cutajar is an engineer by profession, with 13 years of specialised experience in energy efficiency, climate action, and sustainable development. She is also an accredited professional, having worked as a Green Certification Consultant in Malta and abroad,” a ministry statement said.

The authority's CEO holds a Master of Science from the University of Malta and multiple certifications, including an Associate of Science from the US Green Building Council.

Cutajar, who will serve as the authority’s chief executive, will work alongside Mario Joseph Azzopardi, who was appointed chair of the authority last August.

Once operational, the new authority will coordinate and regulate climate action to ensure effective, economically efficient, and consistent efforts toward adaptation and mitigation.

The work of the CAA is expected to begin imminently, the government statement said.

Parliament voted unanimously to set up the authority last spring.