Climate · emissions beyond borders
Malta causes more emissions abroad than at home
Emissions from Maltese consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Malta. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are barely falling. Malta's Climate Action Act doesn't count them.
- The footprint of Malta is 88–129 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 61–66 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 53–56 percent in 2010. In every model that has been more than half since the figures begin.
- Official emissions fell by 24 percent between 2010 and 2022, while the footprint came out differently per model (−12 to +6 percent).
- Per person, Malta causes 9.2 tonnes, more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 15 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint fell by 12 percent, similar to most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it rose by 10 percent, while it fell in most EU countries.
- Outside Malta, most emissions for Maltese consumption are released in China, Italy and Russia.
- Malta imports more emissions than it exports: 0–1 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 150 percent (real); the emissions for it rose by 89 percent.
In short
Emissions caused by Maltese consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Maltese territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 24 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint came out differently per model: −12 to +6 percent. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Malta compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Malta causes 9.2 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 15 of 27.
Where the emissions occur
For Maltese consumption, most emissions abroad occur in China, followed by Italy, Russia and India. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Malta emits for
In 2022, 2 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Malta for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 3 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Maltese consumption. That makes Malta a net importer of emissions: 0–1 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Malta than the other way round.
How we calculate
A footprint follows every euro that households, government and companies spend on final products back through the supply chain, to the country where the emissions occur. So-called input-output models do this, built on trade statistics and emission inventories from dozens of countries.