Malta and climate change : balancing opportunities with limitations

Abstract

While existing as a major issue for all countries, it has long been known that climate change represents a particular threat to small island states such as Malta, due to environmental sensitivity (caused by exposure to weather extremes and depletion of natural resources), economic vulnerability (due to isolation) and demographics (including migration and rapid urbanisation). When the European Commission published its Green Paper on Adapting Climate Change (2007), it listed six regions which are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, three of which (the Mediterranean basin, coastal zones and densely populated floodplains) applied directly to Malta. In this way, Malta, the EU’s smallest and most densely populated Member State, has long been aware of its predicament, having experienced: a rise in mean annual ambient temperatures of 1.5 °C over the last 50 years; changes in precipitation patterns; as well as increased sea acidification and warming. As we will discuss, Malta has never had the luxury of being able to ignore the consequences of climate change and this is reflected in progress made to meet the EU’s commitments towards climate neutrality.