What is the trend in Malta’s greenhouse gas emissions?

Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious environmental issues facing the global community.

Climate change is attributed to a process whereby Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) produced by human activities trap heat radiating from the earth’s surface and raise global temperatures.

As a small island Malta is considered to be vulnerable to climate change. Between 1990 and 2010 there was an overall increase of 49.1 per cent in Malta’s GHG emissions, although instances of decreasing emissions were observed between 2003–2004 and 2007-2009.

In line with the trend, in 2010 87.5 per cent of total emissions derived from the energy sector (including transport) and 6.6 per cent from waste. Between 1990 and 2010, emissions per capita, which relate to the energy mix and primary energy consumption, increased by 29.2 per cent, to 7.3 tonnes per capita, while in EU27 per capita emissions decreased by 20.5 per cent to 9.4 tonnes per capita in 2010.

During the same period, Malta’s emissions per unit GDP, which relate to the emissions intensity of the economy, decreased by 63.4 per cent, to 492Gg per billion euro at constant 2000 prices.

This may reflect a degree of decoupling of emissions from economic development over the whole time period. In the EU27, emissions per unit GDP declined by 38.8 per cent to 450Gg per billion euro at constant 2000 prices over the same time period.

For more information see The Environment Report Indicators 2010-2011 at http://www.mepa.org.mt/teri2010-2011.