Malta saw the largest relative fall in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions among member states in 2013 compared with the previous year, according to an EU report.
The report titled; "Approximated EU GHG inventory: Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2013" was released earlier today and saw Malta's GHG emissions drop by 13.7 per cent.
21 of the EU member states had submitted preliminary 2013 GHG data including Malta. Using the available proxy emission estimates by Member States, EU-28 emissions were expected to decrease by 1.8 % between 2012 and 2013.
Malta's own state records actually state a lower drop than the EEA's, the report read.
Malta's total Co2 emissions in 2013 stood at 2,439, the report shows, with the vast majority emitting from the energy sector.
EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: "Delivering on 2020 climate goals shows that Europe is ready to step up its act. And better, still: it shows that the EU is delivering substantial cuts. The policies work. Therefore, the EU leaders last week decided to continue the ambition and reach at least 40% by 2030. This will require significant investments. That's why it is encouraging that Member States have decided to use most of their current ETS revenues to invest in climate and energy and continue the transformation to a low-carbon economy."
Around 10% of the greenhouse gases emitted worldwide in 2012 come from the European Union. The EU's share of global emissions is falling as Europe reduces its own emissions and as those from other parts of the world, especially the major emerging economies, continue to grow, the European Commission said.
"With measures taken at European level and by Member States at national level, the EU is well on track towards meeting its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions both under its own internal target in the Europe 2020 Strategy and under the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period (2013-2020). By reducing emissions since 1990 while expanding its economy, the EU has successfully shown that economic growth and emission cuts are not contradictory".