LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta registered the highest increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU for the second quarter in a row. According to Eurostat, between July and September, Maltàs greenhouse gas emissions increased by almost 8%, the same increase registered during the previous quarter.
In real terms, in the third quarter of 2022, Malta pumped out an estimated 645,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas. By the same time last year, this had risen to 695,000 tonnes.
And while Malta emitted 2.3 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2022, by the end of September last year Malta had already emitted more than 1.8 million tonnes.
Maltàs emissions are more than double the second-highest increase registered in Cyprus, where emissions rose by almost 3.7%. Other countries to register an increase were Latvia (3.4%) and Slovakia (0.9%).
Maltàs results are very different to the rest of the EU, where emissions decreased in 23 countries. The biggest reductions were seen in Estonia (-30.7%), Bulgaria (-18.6%) and Germany (-12.2%).
In total, greenhouse gases reduced by just over 7% across the bloc compared to the same quarter in 2022.
Across the EU as a whole, around 787 million tonnes of greenhouse gases were emitted in the third quarter of last year, according to Eurostat.
Despite Malta increasing its emissions at a faster rate than any other EU country, according to World Bank data, Malta and Sweden registered the EU’s lowest rate of emissions per capita. That is in large part due to Maltàs lack of heavy industry.
According to Eurostat between July and September, Maltàs economy grew at almost the same rate as its emissions, with GDP rising by just over 7% compared to the same period in 2022. The report notes that Italy maintained its GDP at the same level while decreasing emissions, while 11 countries managed to actually decrease their emissions while growing their economies.
Carbon emissions in Malta have long been associated with the country’s reliance on cars, something which shows no sign of letting up.
Official statistics show there are some 18,000 vehicles for each square kilometre of road in Malta, with the latest figures showing 60 new vehicles being added to the road each day.
– Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).
