Malta Had The Highest Rise In Greenhouse Gas Emissions In The EU In A Year, New Data Shows
Malta experienced the highest rise in greenhouse gas emissions out of all EU countries during July, August, and September 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, according to Eurostat data.
Although during the third quarter of 2023, greenhouse gas emissions declined in 23 EU nations in comparison to the same period of the previous year, Malta’s emissions rose by 7.7%.
Next in line among the countries which experienced the highest increase in emissions were Cyprus at 3.7%, Latvia at 3.4%, and Slovakia at 0.9%.
Notably, the data revealed that three out of these four countries experienced a growth in GDP, with Malta taking the lead at 7.1%.
On the other hand, 23 EU countries recorded a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, when compared with the third quarter of 2022.
The largest reductions in greenhouse gases are estimated for Estonia (-30.7%), Bulgaria (-18.6%) and Germany (-12.2%).
In the third quarter of 2023, the economic sectors responsible for the largest reductions compared to the third quarter of 2022 were electricity and gas supply (- 23.7%), households (-6.5%) and manufacturing (-4.9%).
Overall, over the months of July, August and September 2023, the EU economy’s greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 787 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, a -7.1% decrease compared with the same quarter of 2022 (847 million tonnes). The EU’s GDP remained stable, registering just a small variation (-0.2% in the third quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter of 2022).
Malta has historically struggled to meet emissions targets, frequently ranking among Europe’s top emitters of CO2. Alarmingly, it is projected to fall short of its carbon emission targets by a staggering 62%.
Reducing carbon emissions is a crucial objective throughout the EU, with the bloc aiming to slash emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, ultimately striving for carbon neutrality by 2050.
What do you make of these concerning figures?
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