Malta's Responsibility Towards The Environment

Malta Republic of Malta [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	32nd best
Capital	Valletta
Land Area	320km21
Location	Europe, The Mediterranean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.4m2
Life Expectancy	83.78yrs (2017)3
GNI	$38 884 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	MT, MLT, 4705
Internet Domain	.mt6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+3568

When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Malta comes 130th in the world. This rank is derived from 21 data sets. Malta comes in the best 20 for its environmental performance₉ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₁₀. It does better than average for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₁₁ (amongst the highest in Europe). Malta still has work to do. Malta does worse than average when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₁₂ (still low for Europe). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₁₃ (amongst the worst in Europe).

1. Malta's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
3. Links

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1. Malta's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
33	Albania	91.5
34=	Monaco	92.1
34=	Moldova	92.1
36	Malta	92.2
37	Ukraine	94.8
38=	Iceland	96.9
39	Estonia	97.0
40	Montenegro	97.3
41	Azerbaijan	101.2
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
127=	Monaco	92.1
127=	Moldova	92.1
129	S. Africa	92.2
130	Malta	92.2
131	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
132	Palestine	92.7
133	Vanuatu	93.0
134	Mozambique	93.9
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Averages by decade for Malta (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Malta:	0.0%	31.4%
World Rank:	79th	⇡  3rd
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better9
Pos.		20189
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
6	UK	79.9
7	Luxembourg	79.1
8	Austria	79.0
9	Ireland	78.8
10	Finland	78.6
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Malta ranks 4th-best in the world in terms of its environmental performance.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better13
Pos.		2022 Avg13
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
154	Russia	2.25
155	Oman	2.28
156	Canada	2.29
157	Malta	2.36
158	Mozambique	2.38
159	N. Korea	2.46
160	Laos	2.75
161	Iceland	4.01
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

With regard to energy to GDP efficiency, Malta is positioned 9th-worst in the world (one of the worst in Europe).

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for Malta (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Malta:	1.65	1.67	2.52	2.55
World Rank:	88th	⇣  90th	⇣  144th	⇣  155th
World Avg:	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
112	Cuba	55%
113	Israel	55%
114	Vietnam	55%
115	Malta	55%
116	Rwanda	55%
117	Mongolia	55%
118	Liberia	55%
119	Chad	55%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

With respect to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, Malta ranks 115th in the world.

Each country is scored using a formula that takes the date each country took up major international environmental agreements, as a ratio of maximum possible days. The agreements covered are: (1) the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, (2) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, (3) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, (4) the Waigani Convention (for those countries that are eligible), (5) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), (6) the Kyoto Protocol and (7) its successor, the Paris Agreement, (8) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), (9) the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and finally, (10) the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Malta was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988 whilst most others delayed until subsequent years.

“Malta is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2050. In 2023, the country accounted for around 0.1% of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 20.7% compared with 2005 (see trajectory in Figure 1). In 2023, emissions from sectors covered by the effort-sharing legislation increased by 32.3% since 2005, and were significantly above those from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS), which were down 59.8% over the same period. Malta's land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has always been a negligible source of emissions; in 2023, this remained unchanged. Although the share of renewables in final energy consumption has been growing steadily for several years, the country still relies heavily on fossil fuels, which is holding back its green transition. To address this issue, Malta has dedicated nearly 69% of its national recovery and resilience plan to the green transition, with a focus on energy and transport.”

EU 2023 Climate Action Strategy₂₅

Averages by decade for Malta (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Malta:	0%	33%	43%	70%	83%
World Rank:	52nd	⇣  71st	⇣  116th	⇣  145th	⇣  165th
World Avg:	8.5%	23.3%	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better11
Pos.		2011 %11
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
26	Mali	60.7%
27	Venezuela	60.1%
28	Morocco	60.0%
29	Malta	57.3%
30	Ecuador	57.2%
31	Portugal	55.8%
32	Hong Kong	54.8%
33	Lebanon	54.3%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

One of the best in Europe Malta ranks 29th in the world regarding the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population. In a 2023 survey, 49% of the Maltese identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world₂₅. "Most expect national governments (84%) and/or the EU (79%) to tackle climate change, while 63% find it to be a personal responsibility"₂₅.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better12
Pos.		2021 kg12
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
119	Gabon	66.3
120	Sweden	66.9
121	Romania	67.1
122	Malta	67.8
123	Switzerland	68.0
124	Micronesia	70.4
125	Denmark	70.5
126	Seychelles	70.6
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Still low for Europe regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person, Malta ranks 122nd in the world.

There are five key arguments in favour of vegetarianism which accrue even from partial adoption: (1) Vegetarian diets have notable health advantages over carnivorous diets, especially for heart and cardiovascular issues_26,27,28. (2) It is morally better to avoid killing or harming animals. (3) Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists urge governments to encourage people to switch₂₉. (4) Vegetarian food production uses substantially less land_26,30,31. And, (5) vegetarianism is better for the environment than meat-production for emissions, sewerage, pollution and chemicals usage._26,30. A plant-based diet causes 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than a typical carnivorous diet₃₁. The global food industry causes about 1/3 of all planet-heating emissions, and so "to slow the worst climate effects, the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in meat consumption"₃₁. Despite this, "reducing appetites for carbon-intensive meat and dairy is incredibly hard"₃₂ and as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Malta was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₁₂

On average throughout the 2010s, Malta's rate was 78.1.