ADPD says Malta ‘decades behind’ on emissions, renews call for green transition

ADPD – The Green Party has accused successive administrations of “decades of negligence” on climate action, after a European Commission assessment projected that Malta will be the only EU member state whose emissions in 2030 are expected to exceed 2005 levels.

The claims were made in reaction to the 2025 Climate Action Progress Report, which outlines how EU countries are faring in meeting their climate obligations.

In a statement, ADPD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said the findings reflect a long-term failure by both Labour and Nationalist governments to curb emissions, arguing that “short-sighted, growth-obsessed policies” have left Malta dependent on construction, speculative development and fossil fuels.

Cacopardo said the island has ended up with “an economy addicted to overdevelopment, a transport system choked by private cars, and an energy strategy still tethered to fossil fuels”. The situation, he added, has left Malta increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather, pollution and energy insecurity.

The party said the failure to meaningfully cut emissions amounted not only to a policy misjudgment but to “an ethical and political betrayal” of younger generations and of the EU’s collective climate commitments.

ADPD contrasted the government’s long-term vision with its own Green Over Greed: Green Vision 2050, which it says sets out a pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, including a 50% renewable energy target for 2030 supported by community energy projects, clean technology investment and carbon budgeting across sectors.

The party reiterated its calls for a phase-out of fossil fuels, an end to land speculation, and a shift in the construction sector toward regeneration, retrofitting and energy-efficient development.

Other proposals highlighted by ADPD include tax reforms favouring sustainable practices, investment in circular economy models, promotion of cooperative enterprises, and the introduction of “15-minute cities” designed to reduce transport emissions by making daily essentials accessible within walking distance.

“Malta cannot continue hiding behind rhetoric while failing to meet its EU obligations,” Cacopardo said. “Climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is a daily reality for our islands.”

ADPD said the country now faces a choice between “green values and short-term greed”, urging government to withdraw what it described as growth-driven policies in favour of a wellbeing-centred economic model.