Malta only EU state with increased emissions intensity, PN slams government
Eurostat figures show Malta's greenhouse gas emissions intensity increased by 17 per cent between 2013 and 2024
The PN on Monday flagged a Eurostat report showing that Malta was the only EU state to see its greenhouse gas emission intensity increase since 2013.
According to data published on Friday, greenhouse gas emissions dropped by a fifth across the EU between 2013 and 2024.
Meanwhile, the greenhouse gas emissions intensity in the EU decreased by 34% during the same period. This intensity measures the amount of emissions (measured in CO2 equivalents) per unit of gross value added (measured in euros) in an economy.
It is an indicator of the climate efficiency of economic production. A decrease in the emissions intensity means fewer emissions for the same generation of value added.
The largest reductions were recorded in Estonia (-64%), Ireland (-50%) and Finland (-44%). Only Malta (+17%) saw its emissions intensity increase since 2013.
In a statement on Monday, the PN said the government’s lack of ambition on renewable energy had left Malta lagging behind other EU countries.
"It is not merely that we are polluting more because the economy has grown, but that today, for every euro generated in our economy, we are polluting more than we were in 2013," the party's spokesperson on climate change, Eve Borg Bonello said.
She slammed the government's lack of ambition to significantly increase the use of renewable energy. Malta, she noted, was trailing far behind other countries: in 2024, Malta generated just 10.7% of its energy from renewable sources, while the European average stands at just over 25%.
"The Labour government continues to show total apathy towards innovative solutions and keeps dragging its feet on problems that people face on a daily basis, such as long hours spent stuck in traffic," she said.
"The government also seems to fail to understand that its apathy in the field of renewable energy is not only having a negative impact on our environment.
"The EU is continuing to strengthen its carbon regulations in order to meet its climate targets for 2030 and 2050. This means that the Maltese government’s failure in renewable energy will translate into a less competitive economy compared to the rest of Europe. Ultimately, the burden of this failure will be borne by Maltese and Gozitan families and businesses."
The PN said it remained committed to acting in defence of the environment and the country’s economy.