Happy Planet Index

Malta ranked highly in the Happy Planet Index, an index that combines ecological efficiency and human well-being, published by the London based think tank New Economics Foundation. From MaltaMedia News:

Malta ranked seventh, ahead of major European countries such as France, the UK and Germany and was praised for its ongoing initiatives to reduce carbon emissions as well as positive life satisfaction and expectancy. Overall, the country scored almost seven and a half out of a possible ten – nearly one point above average making it the ideal location for travellers hoping to enjoy a green holiday or short-break.

NEF's rating also praised the ongoing work of many of the Scandinavian countries, with Sweden, Norway and Iceland ranking high in the research. The report overall was negative on Europe's environmental record, arguing the continent was far behind in reaching its "desired location" in climate change policy, and significant cuts to emissions were still necessary.

The Happy Planet Index measures the carbon footprint of each country alongside life satisfaction and expectancy, calculating the efficiency with which resources are being distributed to achieve levels of happiness. Malta obtained a score of just under seven and a half out of a possible ten, close to one point above the European average.

The country's carbon footprint of two and a half was the average for European countries, but it achieves a high level of satisfaction and health for the amount of carbon used. According to Nick Marks of the NEF, countries with smaller populations tend to do best in happiness surveys: "Despite being big countries, Sweden and Norway are not so populated and that was another determining factor for their good placing," he said.