Is it time for a New Green Building Standard in Malta?

Currently, buildings represent an estimated 45% of the total final energy consumption worldwide (SOER 2015). Both Zero Emission and Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) are important concepts in the development towards a more sustainable, low carbon future. Overall, the role of the built environment sector in addressing the complex issues of key environmental, economic and societal issues by signing up to the Paris Agreement and committing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and, more recently, the articulation of a vision for a climate neutral Europe by 2050 – is crucial (WGBC 2019).

Sustainable buildings have huge potential in helping to achieve these goals. In Malta, where the majority of built stock comprises an estimated 94% built before the implementation of minimal standards with the European Performance in Building Directive (EPBD) in 2006, there were no energy related building regulations, which manifested itself in Malta with governmental guidelines for the construction industry with the Technical Guidance Standard introduced in 2006 (BRO 2015).

Assessing and demonstrating compliance of buildings, building designs and building projects with environmental, social and economic objectives is becoming increasingly important to support resource conservation, towards sustainable development. Malta is a small island state in the Mediterranean with a high population density, limited water reserves and natural resources. The construction industry is seen as causing environmental problems ranging from resource consumption to environmental pollution.  These words are taken from the abstract to a paper on the proposal for a customised Malta Green Building Standard by Sant and Borg (2014). The case is put down for Malta’s own holistic GreenBuilding Standards system built to suit its own particular set of criteria. The full paper can be found here.

In fact, it will be impossible to achieve the vision of a climate neutral Europe unless the vast potential in the built environment sector is unlocked. Only by establishing strong policies that support transformative action can the potential of the sector be realised. And this can partly be realised by the implementation and enforcement of a Green Building Standard across the construction industry here in Malta.