Climate Editorials
From Resilience to Command: Malta’s Digital Leap into European Climate Leadership
Malta at the Helm of European Climate Governance On 13 June 2025, the Research Innovation Unit (RIU) was invited to present its Climate Command framework at the international Multilevel Governance (MLG) Conference held under [...]
Why Climate Command Cannot Wait: Malta’s Leap into Operational Climate Foresight
A Note of Reflection It has been a while since my last editorial. This silence was not a pause in thought, but a crucible of transformation. During these past five months, my focus intensified [...]
Reflecting on 2024: Advancing Climate Resilience through Innovation and Leadership
As 2024 comes to a close, it is a moment of reflection on my extensive work and climate leadership throughout this year and that of my unit, aiming to provide added value for 2025. This [...]
Integrating Justice in Sustainability Transitions: RIU’s Pioneering Role through JUSTNature
The urgency of just sustainability transitions has become increasingly evident in the wake of the European Environment Agency's (EEA) recent publication, Just Sustainability Transitions — From Concept to Practice. While the report provides insight into [...]
The Barcelona Flash Floods – Echoes of Southern Europe’s Climate Crisis
As the Mediterranean basin endures yet another devastating weather event, the recent flash floods in Barcelona highlight an urgent need for adaptive strategies to combat the intensifying climate crisis. This catastrophe unfolded shortly after [...]
Southern Europe’s New Climate Reality: Learning from Spain’s Devastating DANA Event
This past week, Spain's eastern coast endured one of the deadliest and most destructive flooding events in its recent history. As torrential rains transformed streets into rivers and swept away infrastructure, the storm claimed at [...]
Desertification Dynamics: A Comparative Analysis of the Sahara’s Expansion and Malta’s Degradation Amid Shifting Atmospheric Rivers
In a world reshaped by climate change, desertification is one of the most visible consequences impacting biodiversity and human societies. Recent images of water pooling in the Sahara Desert after uncharacteristic rainfall remind us [...]
Climate Change at a Crossroads – The EU Stands as an Island as Global Climate Ambitions Fragment
In a world grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change, one of the starkest realities emerging today is the growing isolation of the European Union (EU) in its ambitious climate objectives. While the [...]
At Crossroads of Hybrid, EVs, Hydrogen, Liquid Nitrogen and Other Fuels: The Future of Net-Zero Transportation
The global push towards net-zero emissions has thrown the transportation sector into intense innovation and transformation. Vehicle manufacturers, particularly those producing land vehicles, are at a crossroads, experimenting with various alternative fuels and propulsion [...]
Addressing Climate and Socioeconomic Challenges in Maltese Regions
The recently published EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities for 2024 identifies critical areas for development in Maltese regions, with climate adaptation, digital transformation, and socioeconomic development emerging as key [...]
Hurricane Milton – The Wrath of a Changing Climate (Part 2)
In the first part of this editorial, we explored Hurricane Milton’s rapid intensification, its devastating landfall in Florida, and the subsequent destruction caused by tornadoes. We also looked at the role of the current [...]
Hurricane Milton – The Wrath of a Changing Climate (Part 1)
Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 5 storm that eventually made landfall in Florida as a Category 3, represents yet another grim testament to the evolving nature of extreme weather events in the context of climate [...]
Why is Malta Lagging Behind in Reaching its Climate Targets?
Malta, despite its declarations and commitments, remains behind in achieving the ambitious climate targets set by the European Union. The European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 legislative package are critical steps towards [...]
A Hybrid Approach to Combating Air Pollution in Malta
Malta is at a critical juncture where rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and worsening air pollution are creating severe health risks and environmental challenges. Recent data shows that Malta is experiencing the fastest growth [...]
From El Niño to Autumn 2024 Cold Waves: Navigating Malta’s Climate Shifts
In an interview on Rasimbras, a prime-time journalistic programme on TVMnews in April 2024, predictions were made about the end of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, which had contributed to the record heat in [...]
Utopian Climate Patterns for Malta – What Could They Look Like?
Malta’s climate is marked by extremes of heat and humidity, making life on the island particularly vulnerable to climate change. In recent years, the country has seen an increase in the frequency and intensity [...]
Unraveling the Complex Climate of Malta – Heatwaves, Droughts, and Storms
Malta, a small island in the heart of the Mediterranean, is uniquely vulnerable to the changing climate. Situated between Europe and North Africa, the island’s weather is influenced by several large-scale atmospheric and oceanic [...]
Malta Scores a 376.45% Higher Death Rate than EU27 Average in a 4°C Warming Scenario
A Call for Urgent and Ethical Action to Mitigate Heat-Related Mortality As the world confronts the mounting challenges of climate change, Malta faces a uniquely perilous situation. Projections indicate that under a 4°C warming [...]
Storm Daniel: A Mediterranean Cyclone’s Path from Greece to Libya and Its Lessons for Resilience
In early September 2023, Storm Daniel emerged as a formidable and tragic demonstration of the Mediterranean's growing vulnerability to extreme weather events fueled by climate change. Originating near Greece and later intensifying into a [...]
Confronting Malta’s Cerberus Heatwave: Lessons, Challenges, and Climate Actions
In July 2023, Malta found itself in an unprecedented "Cerberus" heatwave. The searing temperatures and stifling humidity disrupted daily life and underscored the profound vulnerabilities posed by extreme heat events in the Mediterranean. This was [...]
Storm Helios Unleashes 44.37 Billion Liters of Rain on Malta: A Call for Heritage and Infrastructure Resilience
The Wrath of Storm Helios and Malta's Vulnerability In a dramatic display of nature's force, Storm Helios struck Malta on the night between the 9th and 10th February 2023, bringing a record-breaking deluge of [...]