Whilst practically all of Europe is in a race to reduce emissions, Malta has registered the highest increase, 9%, continuing to increase our share of emissions since 2014, the Nationalist Party said in a statement Wednesday.

Our government has no vision for a carbon-neutral economy, and with the National Energy and Climate Plan setting our 2030 goal to reduce emissions by an embarrassing 1.5%, it's no surprise that we're routinely put on blast by the European Commission for a lack of ambition, the PN< through its spokesperson Eve Borg Bonello, said.

Climate action does not exist in a bubble, this is yet another symptom of unprecedented overpopulation met with no long-term planning.

With roughly 58 new cars added to our roads daily, and only 3% of vehicles being electric or hybrid, it is immensely worrying that subsidies for electric vehicles are not guaranteed for 2025, not to mention the need for subsidies for alternative vehicles.

We need real, concrete policies to safeguard our future, health and environment, to subsidise the way forward and future-proof our economy with real long-term investments such as a Metro system that has been pushed as a flagship proposal ad nauseam every election cycle only to be completely abandoned by the government, budget after budget, the PN said.

Climate change requires bold action that places human well-being at the centre of policy, ensuring a just transition that does not become a new tax on the most vulnerable. The green economy is the future of economic growth. Real investment instead of flimsy statements would ensure high-paying jobs and opportunities with massive returns, which is why other countries are investing heavily in this sector whilst the Labour Government insists on burying its head in the sand.

Malta and the Maltese are left with vague buzzwords and polluted air with all its disastrous implications, Borg Bonello said.

Climate change does not have to be a doom and gloom debate, if we had a competent government it could be the basis of environmental and economic policy to usher us into a new era of long-term, sustainable success, she said.