Malta is committing e25,000 (Lm10,732.50) each year for three years to the Diplo Foundation for the training of diplomats from Small Island States on climate change issues, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said when delivering the opening address at the International Conference on Climate Change Diplomacy, organised by the foundation.

Climate change has always been of great importance to Malta, he said. It was 20 years ago when Malta raised awareness at the United Nations about the seriousness and graveness of climate change, culminating with the General Assembly declaring that “Climate Change is the Common Concern of Mankind”. This eventually led to the adoption of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.

Speaking from Malta’s perspective, he said the impact of climate change can potentially be most severe.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s second report forecasts a dark future for southern Europe and small islands such as Malta, which will face a number of challenges that will be brought on by rising sea levels, escalating temperatures, drought, extreme weather events and coastal erosion over the coming decades.

Dr Frendo said that Malta’s participation in climate change diplomacy is significant. A Maltese – who was a UN staff member set up the United Nations climate change secretariat and headed it for 11 years – is now playing a leading role in the intergovernmental negotiations under Malta’s flag.

“I am referring to Malta’s Ambassador on Climate Change, Michael Zammit Cutajar, who has recently been chosen to lead as vice-chairman and later as chairman, the negotiations of the process for a post-2012 climate change regime.”