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 the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe. Organised at the Kempinski Hotel in Gozo and attended by dignitaries from the Council of Europe, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities the European Environment Agency, and OECD, this event showcased Malta’s transformative shift from climate adaptation to climate command.

We officially extend our gratitude to Parliamentary Secretary Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli and Director General Emil Vassallo, whose invitation enabled us to demonstrate how our operational foresight framework is now shaping multilevel environmental governance across the EU27 and beyond.

A Living Doctrine: The Climate Command Vision in Action

This presentation marks the diplomatic manifestation of the doctrine previously outlined in our editorial “Why Climate Command Cannot Wait”. No longer a mere strategic vision, Climate Command is now a functioning operational model anchored within PHASE 2, being Malta’s AI- and EO-powered digital twin framework.

Malta is not adapting to climate change. Malta is commanding foresight.

Multilevel Governance: From Ground Truth to European Foresight

The RIU’s presentation was embedded within the broader commitments of the Reykjavik Declaration and the Vilnius Conference Takeaways, which reaffirm the need for participatory, inclusive, and technologically enabled environmental governance. The Council of Europe’s CM/Rec(2022)20 and the EU’s Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 provide the legal bedrock for RIU’s multilevel contributions.

Through PHASE 2, Malta operationalises these commitments by:

  1. Feeding real-time foresight from the local level upward
  2. Providing legally defensible simulations using Copernicus and in-situ data
  3. Delivering citizen-facing dashboards that align with MLG consultation goals

This bottom-up intelligence architecture links directly to European systems like EUCRA, the EU Mission on Adaptation, and Just Transition frameworks.

PHASE 2: Commanding the Mediterranean Frontline

The Climate Command framework is built upon PHASE 2, a registered scientific-grade Digital Twin Engine (Reg. INS:10578/2025/MT). PHASE 2 simulates compound climate risks, enabling faster decisions and smarter planning.

Key operational modules presented at the Conference included:

  1. Medicane Helios Simulation: High-resolution storm surge, sea wave, and flood foresight at 15-minute intervals.
  2. Urban Heat Inequality Indexing: Pinpointing thermal injustice at building scale, guiding cooling interventions.
  3. Landfill Methane Intelligence: Satellite thermal and gas detection at Magħtab, converting risk into clean circular energy.
  4. Digital Twin of Malta (DTMT): Real-time mapping of floods, droughts, and heatwaves to feed adaptive regulation.

These simulations are not sandbox models. They are live deployments informing flood protection, zoning updates, and post-event evaluations.

Empowering Climate Commanders: Youth, Data, and Diplomacy

Aligned with the Vilnius call to build knowledge among youth, the RIU has developed foresight education programmes that:

  1. Bring digital twins into schools
  2. Use cartoon superheroes to engage 6,000+ students
  3. Map trees, shade, and heat through open citizen science tools like the Malta UHI App

These are more than outreach tools. They are a generational pipeline for building Malta’s next cadre of climate commanders.

Moreover, Malta’s digital twin diplomacy now spans:

  1. ESA Frascati – where DTMT was showcased to New Capabilities & Countries
  2. DG CLIMA Brussels – where PHASE 2 was introduced as a scalable EU foresight engine
  3. Japan – where RIU hosted delegations from ERCA and JANUS

Legacy of Command: Malta’s Climate Resilience Since 59 AD

Malta’s role as a climate foresight pioneer predates the EU. The RIU presentation walked through a time machine of resilience; from the 59 AD storm that shipwrecked St. Paul, to the Knights of St. John’s early impact assessments in 1524, to the hottest year on record in 2023.

Today, Malta walks backwards into the future. With foresight as compass, and simulation as shield, our microstate commands a macro voice in Europe’s climate future.

Commanding the Future with Foresight

The Gozo MLG Conference was not a routine presentation. It was Malta’s strategic alignment with multilateral governance reform. The RIU’s Climate Command framework stands as a European good practice in:

  1. Operationalising local intelligence across levels of governance
  2. Simulating future risks before they materialise
  3. Educating the public and youth to build a foresight society

Malta has proven that small states can lead when they simulate, educate, and coordinate. The RIU remains committed to advancing the Climate Command Doctrine as a living model for operational foresight, and thanks all stakeholders who continue to support this mission.

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