Evaluating drivers and barriers to adopting a local energy policy under The Covenant of Mayors Initiative in the Small Island State of Malta

The Covenant of Mayors (CoM) is an initiative that voluntarily engages municipalities to devise local policies to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The progress of the CoM in Malta and Gozo is evaluated; evidence suggests that signatories have not sufficiently fulfilled their obligations to the initiative and there has been little contribution of the CoM to the local reduction of CO2 emissions and energy consumption for the 2020 set of targets for Malta. Overall, it was noted that local councils have not had sufficient autonomy, resources and external support to enable their successful participation in the initiative. The barriers experienced by Maltese signatories have been identified as ineffective communication and lack of resident engagement. With the large potential for local governments to contribute towards climate change mitigation and adaptation, certain policy recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of local governments’ involvement in climate policies and initiatives. These measures focus on the financing of local councils, organisational and accountability procedures, prioritisation of climate action, outreach and involvement of the general public, and continued awareness raising of climate issues.