The process of drafting the first Sustainable Development Strategy for the Maltese Islands started in December 2002. A National Commission for Sustainable Development was set up and was entrusted with the role of advocating on national sustainable development across all sectors; reviewing progress in the achievement of sustainable development; and achieving further progress. Following public consultations, in 2006 the National Commission proposed a Sustainable Development Strategy for the Maltese Islands, which was published in December 2007. Its mandate terminated at the end of 2016.

Given that the first Sustainable Development Strategy had a timeline that extended till the year 2016 the Maltese Government embarked on a process to develop a new Sustainable Development Strategy. To this end a Vision Document was published in 2018.

Following the publication of Malta’s Sustainable Development Vision for 2050, the Government has on 9 December 2022 launched for public consultation Malta’s Sustainable Development Strategy for 2050. Malta’s Sustainable Development Strategy for 2050 is an ambitious plan that affirms the Maltese Government’s commitment to advance sustainable development in every sector at all levels.

More information on the Sustainable Development Act, Malta’s Sustainable Development Vision for 2050, and Malta’s Sustainable Development Strategy can be found below:

The Sustainable Development Act: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ACT521-%E2%80%93-Document.pdf

The Vision document: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Maltas-Sustainable-Development-Vision-for-2050.pdf

The Sustainable Development Strategy consultation document: https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Maltas-Sustainable-Development-Strategy-for-2050.pdf

Malta’s Sustainable Development Strategy for 2050 focuses on five strategic goals, divided into a number of strategic objectives, which are considered the most significant for, and pertinent to, Malta based on the previous published Malta’s Sustainable Development Vision for 2050 as well as various sectoral consultations with key stakeholders. Each goal is also linked to the fourteen normative governance principles defined in Malta’s Sustainable Development Vision for 2050 as well as the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The five Strategic Goals are the following:

1. Transitioning towards a Climate-Neutral Green and Blue Economy
2. Towards the Preservation of Sustainable Urban Development and Cultural Heritage
3. Ensuring heathly lives and well-being for all
4. Accelerating Digital Transformation, Smart Mobility and Connectivity
5. Achieving Social Fairness and Prosperity for All

The Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise

[The Strategic Document is currently being revised following the public consultation. The link below shows the page dedicated to the SD Strategy on our website]

https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/maltas-sustainable-development-strategy-for-2050/

The Maltese Government recognises that sustainable development is not only confined to the workings of Government but calls for consensus from diverse sectors of the Maltese society, including civil society and the private sector. In drafting of key sustainable development documents, the Maltese Government ensures that the process is open and inclusive as possible, and that the vision of the future of Malta reflects the vision of its citizens. This was safeguarded through public and sectoral consultations as well as through existing national stakeholder engagement mechanisms.

The Strategy will be monitored through a defined set of targets that will be translated into concrete actions in the next phase of the Strategy, which will be Malta’s Sustainable Development Action Plan for 2030.