We speak often about the future, but the future isn't something that arrives on its own. It is built -- step by step, decision by decision, project by project. And today, across our islands, that future is already taking shape. We are building tomorrow's Malta with projects people are already enjoying today. Not symbolic gestures, not announcements that fade, but real initiatives and real change.

This is the vision for tomorrow's Malta: a country that chooses wisely what to build, and just as wisely what to preserve. A country that invests not only in stone and steel, but in quality of life, in breathing space, in the dignity that comes from public places that belong to everyone.

That is why the decisions taken on Manoel Island and White Rocks are so important. Together, those two sites are as large as Valletta itself. For decades they were treated as spaces for speculation. Manoel Island, as many remember, was handed to the private sector, tied to the same vision that produced Tigné Point. The idea then was clear; when viewed from Valletta, the skyline was meant to match. Today, we have taken a decision rooted in a different value system: the future Manoel Island will be a National Park - open, public, and protected. And I want to recognise all those who kept the national consciousness awake on this issue. Their voice mattered, and made a difference.

The same applies to White Rocks. Commercially, the land is immensely valuable. For years there were proposals for luxury development, and even past governments considered calls for investment. But today, we stand on stronger ground: with an economy that is resilient, unemployment at record lows, and the ability to focus on new priorities. And those priorities mean that instead of hotels and hundreds of apartments, White Rocks will also become a National Park. A space for the people. A choice made not for a balance sheet today, but for generations tomorrow.

To understand the scale of that decision, remember what was originally planned: two hotels with 450 rooms each, and roughly 800 apartments. Today, instead of more pressure, we choose more trees. Instead of concrete, we choose open coastline. Instead of private luxury, public belonging. This is environmental policy translated into real terms.

For those who ask whether people are aware about the environment, speak to our younger ones. And for those who ask whether government is responding to action, the answer is yes, look at the work being done.

Our work ties with various challenges. The Nationalist Party was quick to dismiss our work on climate action. But climate action is not a chapter in a report; it is stitched into our decisions. A few weeks ago, the National Audit Office acknowledged Malta's strong progress on climate work. And this year's Budget is actually full of initiatives that make that progress real: investment in clean energy production, grants to help families install renewable technology, new projects that allow us to lead by example, and the shift to electric bus fleets in Gozo.

Our incentives for electric cars are stronger than ever. We are building large-scale energy storage through national battery systems. We issued the first green bonds in our country -- a milestone achieved by the Water Services Corporation, the first utility in Europe to do so. We opened the first Net Zero warehouse. We inaugurated the first carbon-neutral school in Msida. These are not concepts -- they are climate action in motion.

Climate action does not need a headline to exist. It needs hard work. It needs engineering. It needs long-term thinking. And it needs the humility to recognise that for small island states like ours, climate measures must work economically and realistically. That was the case I negotiated successfully at the latest EU Council -- ensuring a specific reference to island states so that measures are fair, cost-efficient and feasible for Malta. That too is climate action. And this is the approach we are taking across all sectors.

And while we speak about tomorrow, let's speak about today; about what families feel and need.

In this legislative term, the Ministry for the Environment alone has already completed 63 projects. Project Green is working on a portfolio of 150 projects with an investment of €445 million -- projects at different stages, but all moving forward. People see them opening, they attend activities in them, they use them every day.

Wied Inċita: once inaccessible, today open, green and expanding phase by phase. Bengħajsa in Birżebbuġa: where a landfill and containers were planned, today a growing woodland. From Żabbar to Fgura, new green links connecting communities. Ġnien Zaylen in Paola opened a couple of weeks ago, once concrete, now planted and accessible for all; including children with mobility challenges. And this is mentioning a few recent projects.

Other major transformation include Qortin and Wied Fulija, where there were former landfills, we created gardens. In Marsascala instead of a waste plant, we are building underground parking topped by a beautiful park -- an investment of over €30 million. In Imqabba, where there was a quarry, a garden is rising. In Żurrieq, where there was tarmac, a new square and open space is now underway. These are nothing short of absolute transformations.

We promised seven years of unprecedented investment in open spaces; and that promise is being delivered. Wied Inċita wasn't even in the manifesto, yet we built it and are expanding it. Over this legislature alone we planted 60,000 trees and almost 100,000 shrubs as well.

This is the Malta we're building - not only strong today, but ready for tomorrow. As we keep our word to invest in open space, in climate action, and in a better quality of life, more parks are being created for families, trees are taking root, valleys are reopened, and land once abandoned or destined for development is now becoming open spaces. The Malta we want is being built before our eyes.

Miriam Dalli is Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness