Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) has submitted official feedback on Malta’s Social Climate Plan, highlighting critical gaps and proposing fairer climate and social policies. The feedback provided by FoEM focuses on environmental justice and draws inspiration from useful examples of Social Climate Plans from across the EU.

Key points in Friends of the Earth Malta’s feedback include:

Overstated progress in the energy sector: 

• The government’s claim of progress in the energy sector is misleading. Methane leaks and CO₂ emissions from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is Malta’s primary energy source, are underreported.
• Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) is presented as a green solution, yet 80–90% of Malta’s electricity still comes from fossil fuels, raising the issue of the “long tailpipe” problem.

Transport sector:

• The Plan overly focuses on EV subsidies, a solution that mainly benefits wealthier households, while ignoring public transport.
• It lacks serious investment in walking, cycling, and public transport infrastructure, despite their accessibility and climate benefits.
• Malta’s decision to redirect EU funds from electrifying buses to subsidising private cars undermines equitable and sustainable transport.

Lack of structural reforms in energy and housing:

• Current energy and fuel subsidies are applied indiscriminately, rewarding high energy users. We call for reform: subsidies should focus on basic needs and vulnerable households only.

Lack of transparency:

• Despite references to stakeholder meetings, FoEM, along with other civil society organisations, were not invited or informed.
• Public consultation began only a few weeks before submission to the European Commission, creating doubt on how public input will shape the final plan.

Key proposals that we would like to see in Malta’s Social Climate Plan:

• Shift the transport focus toward public sustainable mobility, not just private Electric Vehicles.
• Reform subsidies to prioritise vulnerable households and incentivise energy efficiency and renewables.
• Support renewable energy communities to provide clean, shared energy and alleviate grid congestion.

Real climate justice means ensuring that public funds benefit people and not big polluters. Malta’s Social Climate Plan still falls short of delivering a just green transition that invests in public transport, prioritises vulnerable households and incentivises energy efficiency and renewables. FoEM calls for the creation of renewable energy communities to provide clean and shared energy, and the establishment of a monitoring committee including unions, anti-poverty networks, and environmental NGOs to oversee fair implementation of the National Social Climate Plans. 

We invite you to read our full submission to learn more about how Malta’s Social Climate Plan can and must do better. Read our full feedback.