Malta

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Southern EuropeApplies through 2030Source: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Overview

Malta's second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), covering the period to 2030, is the country's principal instrument for implementing the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) [§3]. The strategy builds on Malta's first NBSAP adopted in 2012 and falls within the scope of the National Strategy for the Environment.

The NBSAP is structured around 22 Targets and 79 Actions addressing multiple direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss [§3]. Of these, 21 national commitments appear in the published text; no section corresponding to Target 20 appears in the source material. The strategy groups its commitments across three thematic areas: conservation and restoration, pressures and sustainable use, and mainstreaming and enabling conditions.

Malta's NBSAP uses the term "Target" for its national commitments. To avoid confusion with the 23 GBF Targets adopted at COP15, this page uses "national commitment" throughout.

The NBSAP establishes a Vision to 2050 — "Malta's biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used for the benefit of nature, people and climate" — and a Mission to 2030 committing "to put Malta's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of the planet and people, by stepping up national efforts to effectively respond to the biodiversity crisis" [§14, §15]. The strategy does not use goals, pillars, or strategic objectives as an intermediate structural layer; the 21 national commitments sit directly beneath the mission.

Beyond the CBD, the NBSAP identifies alignment with the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UNFCCC, the UNCCD, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the European Green Deal [§3].

Malta's NBSAP sets 21 national commitments structured across conservation, sustainable use, and enabling conditions, with three quantified commitments — 30% land and marine protected areas by 2030, defined species and habitat conservation status thresholds, and a 50% management rate for the most harmful invasive alien species affecting protected areas. Implementation routes primarily through EU legislative instruments rather than standalone national programmes. The strategy contains no dedicated finance architecture or costed implementation plan.

Sources:

  • §3 — 1. Introduction
  • §14 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > 3.1 Vision to 2050
  • §15 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > 3.2 Mission to 2030

Ecological Context

Malta's biodiversity faces pressure from development and construction, alien and problematic species, and natural processes, identified in the NBSAP as the most significant direct drivers [§3]. Climate change is recognised as an additional direct driver of biodiversity loss, with the climate and biodiversity crises described as "strictly interdependent" [§3].

The NBSAP identifies a range of ecosystem services central to Malta's societal and economic prosperity: food and feed, medicines, climate regulation, flood mitigation, recreation, and physical and mental health. It states that "the majority of nature's contributions to humans cannot be fully replaced and others are downright irreplaceable" [§3].

A review of Malta's first NBSAP found that the country contributed to the achievement of the UN Aichi Targets and CBD objectives while noting that "pressures and threats to biodiversity are still present and gaps need to be addressed through further concerted action" [§3].

Note: The NBSAP's introductory chapter provides limited quantitative detail on Malta's specific geography, ecosystems, species composition, or current biodiversity status. No species counts, ecosystem extent figures, current protected area coverage percentages, or conservation status baselines appear in the source material. The above reflects the NBSAP's own framing of Malta's ecological situation.

Sources:

  • §3 — 1. Introduction

National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Malta sets 21 national commitments organised across three thematic groups. Three carry quantitative thresholds with defined deadlines; the remaining eighteen are directional aspirations specifying intent and direction without quantified benchmarks.

Conservation and Restoration

National commitment 1 — Protected areas: "By 2030, 30% of Maltese land and 30% of the Maltese Fisheries Management Zone are legally protected and form part of the comprehensive and ecologically representative National Ecological Network" [§17]. Management of Natura 2000 sites is to be strengthened. An interim deliverable — a plan to achieve the 30% declarations — is due by 2025, with declaration by 2030. Conservation measures for Natura 2000 sites are delivered in line with the Prioritised Action Framework (PAF). Malta uses the Fisheries Management Zone, rather than territorial seas, as its marine metric — a specific jurisdictional choice. Measurability: Measurable commitment. GBF alignment: GBF Target 3.

National commitment 2 — Species and habitat conservation status: The status and trend of key habitats and species shows no deterioration, with "60% of species of Community interest and 35% of habitats of Community interest showing favourable conservation status, or at least a positive trend" [§22]. These thresholds are tied to EU Habitats Directive categories rather than generic improvement language. Measurability: Measurable commitment. GBF alignment: GBF Target 4.

National commitment 3 — Ecosystem restoration: "By 2030, degraded ecosystems — in particular those with potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation — are under restoration or rehabilitation to ensure their integrity, structure, function, and connectivity" [§32]. Priority areas of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems are to be identified by 2025, with restoration projects implemented thereafter. Collaboration with nurseries and botanic gardens is to be strengthened to ensure sufficient native plant stocks for restoration initiatives. No area or percentage threshold is specified. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 2.

National commitment 4 — Genetic diversity: "By 2030, genetic diversity of native species, as well as species used for food and feed, their wild relatives, and landraces, is safeguarded for improved resilience and food security" [§37]. Actions include ex situ conservation for endemic and relevant protected species, increasing inventoried genetic resources in databases, and developing indicators and genetic methods for monitoring genetic variation in species of conservation concern. No metric for "safeguarded" is defined. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 4.

Pressures and Sustainable Use

National commitment 5 — Land degradation: "By 2030, the impacts of land degradation and land and sea use change on biodiversity are reduced by strengthening the relevant tools" [§41]. A national policy framework on desertification, land degradation, and drought — including Malta's UNCCD National Action Plan — is established to address land degradation-neutrality. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 1.

National commitment 6 — Invasive alien species: "By 2030, the introduction and establishment of new invasive species is prevented by managing appropriate priority pathways; established invasive alien species are timely identified and prioritised for eradication or control; and 50% of the most harmful invasive alien species affecting protected areas are duly managed" [§46]. Delivery is through the National Strategy for Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of Invasive Alien Species in the Maltese Islands. The 50% management rate with a 2030 deadline is a quantified sub-target within a commitment that also includes pathway prevention. Measurability: Measurable commitment. GBF alignment: GBF Target 6.

National commitment 7 — Nature-based solutions: "An increase in coordinated and strategic application of nature-based solutions, including blue-green infrastructure, contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, noise abatement, ecosystem resilience, and urban biodiversity" [§48]. Action 7.1 requires interlinkages between climate change and biodiversity to be integrated into policy tools, ensuring that mitigation and adaptation measures incorporate nature-based solutions and avoid negative impacts on biodiversity. No quantified increase is defined. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Targets 8, 11, 12.

National commitment 8 — Pollution: "By 2030, pollution from all sources — excess nutrients, pesticides, chemicals, plastics, noise, and light — is prevented, controlled, or minimised to levels not harmful to biodiversity, in line with EU and international commitments" [§51]. Implementing instruments include the National Action Plan on Sustainable Use of Pesticides and a revised Nitrates Action Programme to be adopted by 2027. The threshold is defined by reference to EU commitments rather than a national quantitative ceiling. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 7.

National commitment 9 — Wild species: "Harvesting, trade, use, capturing, and killing of wild species are at sustainable levels, in line with national legislation and international obligations" [§59]. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Targets 5, 9.

National commitment 10 — Agriculture: "By 2030, uptake of sustainable agricultural practices, including organic farming, increases significantly" [§63]. The primary delivery vehicle is Malta's CAP Strategic Plan, which by 2027 is to promote agri-environmental and climate commitments, encourage agroecological practices, and support high-diversity landscape features through non-productive investments. "Significantly" is not quantified. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 10.

National commitment 11 — Fisheries and aquaculture: "Fishing, aquaculture, and other marine extraction activities are managed sustainably, reducing negative impacts on sensitive species and habitats" [§66]. Malta's Aquaculture Multiannual National Plan is to be reviewed and updated by 2025 to ensure good management practices and aqua-environmental measures, including promotion of organic aquaculture. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 10.

National commitment 12 — Biosafety: "By 2030, potential adverse impacts of biotechnology on biodiversity and associated risks to human health are prevented, managed, and controlled" [§72]. The National Biosafety Framework Strategy is to be updated by 2027, and Malta implements the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol to ensure the safe transport, handling, and use of living modified organisms. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 17.

Mainstreaming and Enabling Conditions

National commitment 13 — Wellbeing and green spaces: "By 2030, biodiversity continues to be recognised as a key component of human wellbeing and health...by improving access to green spaces" [§75]. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Targets 11, 12.

National commitment 14 — Economic incentives: "Incentives favourable or neutral to conservation and sustainable use are increasingly promoted; work to redirect incentives harmful to biodiversity is strengthened" [§80]. Action 14.1 introduces market-based instruments — including deposit-refund systems, environmental labelling, fiscal instruments, and finance towards environmental initiatives — to incentivise a shift towards circular economy and value chains supporting biodiversity. The Polluter Pays Principle is adopted as a guiding principle. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Targets 16, 18.

National commitment 15 — Private sector mainstreaming: "By 2030, pressures on biodiversity from economic activities are reduced while positive impacts are increased by mainstreaming biodiversity across the private sector, supporting the transition towards sustainable technologies and practices along supply, trade, and value chains" [§83]. Action 15.1 encourages the private sector to value its impacts and dependencies upon natural capital and disclose them in non-financial statements, guided by the CBD Long-term Strategic Approach to Mainstreaming Biodiversity. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Targets 14, 15.

National commitment 16 — Public sector mainstreaming: "Biodiversity considerations are promoted into relevant policies, regulations, plans, programmes, strategies, and accounts" [§86]. Green Public Procurement is to be widely employed by 2027, supported through a GPP National Action Plan. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 14.

National commitment 17 — CEPA: "Audience-targeted programmes on communication, education, and public awareness are expanded to cover a wider range of biodiversity-related topics" [§90]. A biodiversity communication work plan is to be developed by 2025 and implemented by 2030. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 20.

National commitment 18 — Civil society: "The role of voluntary bodies, local councils, and society in the implementation of the NBSAP is strengthened" [§93]. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 22.

National commitment 19 — Data: "By 2030, quality data and information is collected and made accessible to decision-makers and the public for the effective management of biodiversity" [§97]. Malta's Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) serves as a one-stop shop for species and habitat data; a National Biodiversity Database incorporating updated red data lists is to be launched by 2027 as part of the CHM. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 21.

National commitment 20: National commitment 20 does not appear in the published NBSAP text. The NBSAP declares 22 Targets and 79 Actions [§3], but no section corresponding to Target 20 appears in the source material.

National commitment 21 — Enforcement: "Compliance with and enforcement of biodiversity-related legislation is strengthened for more timely and effective interception and deterrence of illegalities" [§104]. A multi-agency cooperation framework and a centralised system for reporting environmental illegalities is to be established by 2027. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 20.

National commitment 22 — Monitoring: "By 2030, implementation of the NBSAP is ensured through effective monitoring and evaluation, with active support of the relevant stakeholders" [§109]. Timely and periodic evaluations are to be carried out in line with international obligations [§110]. An NBSAP Forum is organised annually to share progress and ensure collaboration among key stakeholders [§111]. Measurability: Directional aspiration. GBF alignment: GBF Target 20.

Of Malta's 21 national commitments, three carry quantitative thresholds with defined deadlines (national commitments 1, 2, and 6); the remaining eighteen are directional aspirations. The three measurable commitments are all in the conservation pillar and directly reflect EU and GBF numerical conventions.

Sources:

  • §17 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 1
  • §22 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 2
  • §32 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 3
  • §37 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 4
  • §41 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 5
  • §46 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 6
  • §48 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 7
  • §51 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 8
  • §59 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 9
  • §63 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 10
  • §66 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 11
  • §72 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 12
  • §75 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 13
  • §80 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 14
  • §83 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 15
  • §86 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 16
  • §90 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 17
  • §93 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 18
  • §97 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 19
  • §104 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 21
  • §109 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 22

Delivery Architecture

Malta's NBSAP routes commitments through named strategies, plans, and legislative frameworks spanning conservation, land management, marine management, agriculture, and procurement. EU frameworks serve as the primary delivery spine across multiple thematic areas (see Malta's EU Legislative Framework as Implementation Architecture below).

Conservation instruments

Natura 2000 site conservation measures are implemented in line with the Prioritised Action Framework (PAF) [§23]. Integrated water resources management operates through the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, targeting good status in ground, surface, coastal, and marine waters [§30].

Ecosystem and land management

A national policy framework on forestation encompasses the National Trees and Woodland Strategy and Action Plan, addressing ecologically sensitive forestation, habitat connectivity, climate mitigation and adaptation, conservation of genetic resources, and fire management, in line with the EU Forest Strategy [§35]. Access to genetic resources is regulated through the National Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) [§40]. A national policy framework on desertification, land degradation, and drought — including Malta's UNCCD National Action Plan — is established to address land degradation-neutrality [§45].

Species management

Invasive species management is delivered through the National Strategy for Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of Invasive Alien Species in the Maltese Islands, with related action plans for priority pathway management [§47]. The National Biosafety Framework Strategy is to be updated by 2027 to account for new obligations, emerging issues, and new techniques [§73]. Malta implements the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol for the safe transport and handling of living modified organisms [§74].

Pollution and waste management

Implementing instruments include the Long Term Waste Management Plan 2021–2030, the Single-Use Plastic Products Strategy for Malta 2020–2030 [§52], the National Action Plan on Sustainable Use of Pesticides [§54], and a revised Nitrates Action Programme to be adopted by 2027 [§55].

Economic instruments and procurement

Market-based instruments are introduced to incentivise a shift towards circular economy and value chains supporting biodiversity, including deposit-refund systems, environmental labelling, fiscal instruments, and finance towards environmental initiatives [§81]. Green Public Procurement is to be widely employed by 2027, supported through a GPP National Action Plan [§88].

Data infrastructure

Malta's Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) serves as a one-stop shop for biological information on species and habitats. A National Biodiversity Database incorporating updated red data lists is to be launched by 2027 as part of the CHM [§100]. A National Biodiversity Surveillance and Monitoring Framework is to be formulated by 2025 to coordinate sustained surveillance and scientific monitoring of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems [§31].

Sources:

  • §23 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.1
  • §30 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.8
  • §31 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.9
  • §35 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 3.3
  • §40 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 4.5
  • §45 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 5.4
  • §47 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 6.1
  • §52 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 8.1
  • §54 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 8.3
  • §55 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 8.4
  • §73 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 12.1
  • §74 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 12.2
  • §81 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 14.1
  • §88 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 16.3
  • §100 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 19.3

Malta's EU Legislative Framework as Implementation Architecture

Malta's NBSAP identifies the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 alongside the CBD as a co-framing instrument [§3], and describes the strategy as a vehicle for streamlining requirements from global, regional, and national legislation. The practical consequence is that many of Malta's biodiversity commitments are delivered through EU directives, regulations, and strategies rather than standalone national programmes. This pattern is structurally consistent across at least six thematic areas:

Theme EU instrument
Conservation Natura 2000 / Prioritised Action Framework [§23]
Water Water Framework Directive + Marine Strategy Framework Directive [§30]
Forestry EU Forest Strategy [§35]
Agriculture CAP Strategic Plan [§64]
Aquaculture EU regulatory framework [§70]
Procurement GPP National Action Plan contributing to EU biodiversity objectives [§88]

The pollution commitment (national commitment 8) is explicitly qualified as applying "in line with EU and international commitments" [§51]. The agricultural biodiversity commitment (national commitment 10) names the CAP Strategic Plan as the primary delivery mechanism, with actions tied to EU agri-environmental and climate commitments. National commitment 21 on enforcement addresses compliance with existing biodiversity-related legislation rather than introducing new national requirements.

A reader comparing EU member-state NBSAPs with those of non-EU parties should note that a number of Malta's commitments correspond to obligations under existing EU law. The additionality of the NBSAP — its contribution beyond transposing EU requirements — is not quantified in the strategy.

Sources:

  • §3 — 1. Introduction
  • §23 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.1
  • §30 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.8
  • §35 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 3.3
  • §51 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 8
  • §64 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 10.1
  • §70 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 11.4
  • §88 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 16.3

Monitoring and Accountability

National commitment 22 commits that "by 2030, implementation of the NBSAP is ensured through its effective monitoring and evaluation, with the active support of the relevant stakeholders" [§109].

Monitoring framework

A National Biodiversity Surveillance and Monitoring Framework is to be formulated by 2025 to coordinate sustained surveillance and scientific monitoring of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems [§31]. The National Biodiversity Database — the data infrastructure underpinning this monitoring effort — is to be launched by 2027 as part of the Clearing-House Mechanism. Biodiversity indicators are to be developed by 2027, including indicators enabling the integration of biodiversity in wellbeing and quality of life indices [§100].

Evaluation

Timely and periodic evaluations of NBSAP effectiveness are to be carried out in line with international obligations [§110]. No fixed reporting cycle or evaluation intervals are specified beyond this general commitment.

Stakeholder engagement

An NBSAP Forum is organised annually to share progress and ensure stronger collaboration between key stakeholders involved in NBSAP implementation [§111]. This represents a named, recurring institutional mechanism with a defined frequency.

Enforcement

By 2027, a formal multi-agency cooperation framework and a centralised system for reporting environmental illegalities is to be established to consolidate the work of environmental enforcement agencies [§105].

Governance

The NBSAP names the Ministry for Finance and Employment among the ministries consulted in preparation [§2], but does not describe a lead ministry, implementation unit, or inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for ongoing oversight. The administrative structure for NBSAP implementation is not specified in the source material.

Sources:

  • §2 — Inter-Ministerial Consultation
  • §31 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 2.9
  • §100 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 19.3
  • §105 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 21.1
  • §109 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Target 22
  • §110 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 22.1
  • §111 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 22.2

Finance and Resource Mobilisation

Malta's NBSAP to 2030 contains no dedicated finance architecture. The strategy identifies no total budget allocation, dedicated funding mechanism, cost estimates, or specific currency amounts for biodiversity implementation. No percentages of GDP or named biodiversity finance instruments are referenced.

The strategy commits to maintaining the trend on expenditure on biodiversity [§102] and to ensuring "appropriate funding and resources for implementation of the NBSAP...through the mobilisation of resources from all sources, within the Government's consolidated fiscal plan" [§102]. No figures accompany these commitments.

The one finance-adjacent commitment with a specific external dimension is Action 20.2, which states that "Official Development Assistance to third countries is provided for biodiversity programmes, where possible, addressing the objectives of the CBD in line with the National Implementation Plan on Official Development Assistance Policy" [§103]. This addresses outward ODA flows, not domestic biodiversity financing, and is conditioned on a "where possible" qualifier.

The Ministry for Finance and Employment is listed among consulted ministries [§2], but no dedicated financial role or responsibility is assigned within the strategy's text.

Malta's national commitment 19 addresses data and information — corresponding to GBF Target 21 — rather than finance mobilisation. No national commitment corresponds to GBF Target 19 (finance mobilisation). Resource mobilisation is acknowledged in the NBSAP's concluding remarks as an enabling condition for implementation but receives no quantitative treatment.

Sources:

  • §2 — Inter-Ministerial Consultation
  • §102 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 20.1
  • §103 — Guiding Principles and Approaches for Implementation > Action 20.2

GBF Target Coverage

GBF Target 1: Spatial planning — Addressed

National commitment 5 addresses spatial planning through three actions. Action 5.1 commits to revising policy on spatial planning — including marine spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management — to strengthen alignment with the National Strategy for the Environment and NBSAP objectives. Action 5.2 requires assessment of potential adverse effects of projects, operations, and activities on biodiversity through Environmental Impact Assessments and Appropriate Assessments, with monitoring of the implementation of recommendations. Action 5.3 strengthens a framework policy to address landscapes, conserving characteristics significant for biodiversity conservation. The explicit inclusion of marine spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management alongside terrestrial spatial planning distinguishes the commitment's scope.

GBF Target 2: Ecosystem restoration — Addressed

National commitment 3 commits that by 2030, degraded ecosystems — in particular those with potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation — are under restoration or rehabilitation to ensure their integrity, structure, function, and connectivity. Priority areas of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems are to be identified by 2025, with restoration projects implemented thereafter. Collaboration with nurseries and botanic gardens is to be strengthened to ensure sufficient native plant stocks for restoration initiatives. Malta does not specify a national restoration area target; the commitment does not quantify a hectare figure or percentage of degraded area.

GBF Target 3: Protected areas (30×30) — Addressed

National commitment 1 commits that by 2030, 30% of Maltese land and 30% of the Maltese Fisheries Management Zone are legally protected and form part of an ecologically representative National Ecological Network. A plan to ensure the 30% declarations is due by 2025, with the declarations themselves by 2030. Conservation measures for Natura 2000 sites are implemented in line with the Prioritised Action Framework; site management under a range of governance types is supported through systems for training and information sharing. The numerical commitment matches GBF Target 3 verbatim. Malta uses the Fisheries Management Zone rather than territorial seas as its marine metric — a specific jurisdictional choice.

GBF Target 4: Species recovery — Addressed

National commitment 2 sets thresholds for conservation status: 60% of species of Community interest and 35% of habitats of Community interest are to show favourable conservation status, or at least a positive trend. These thresholds are tied to EU Habitats Directive categories. National commitment 4 addresses genetic diversity, committing to safeguard the genetic diversity of native species, food and feed species, their wild relatives, and landraces. Actions include ex situ conservation for endemic and relevant protected species, increasing inventoried genetic resources in databases, and developing indicators and genetic methods for monitoring genetic variation in species of conservation concern. National commitment 4 does not define a metric for "safeguarded."

GBF Target 5: Sustainable harvest — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not contain a dedicated national commitment on sustainable harvesting and trade of wild species. Action 9.2 commits to strengthening legislation on trade of protected species and their specimens and invasive alien species to enable more effective implementation and compliance. Action 11.2 commits to maintaining and restoring fish stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield through collaboration with the European Commission and other EU and Mediterranean countries. These commitments address relevant aspects of sustainable harvest but are not framed as a unified commitment aligned with GBF Target 5.

GBF Target 6: Invasive alien species — Addressed

National commitment 6 commits that by 2030, the introduction and establishment of new invasive species is prevented by managing appropriate priority pathways; established invasive alien species are timely identified and prioritised for eradication or control; and 50% of the most harmful invasive alien species affecting protected areas are duly managed. Delivery is through the National Strategy for Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of Invasive Alien Species in the Maltese Islands and related action plans. The 50% management rate for harmful IAS in protected areas by 2030 is a quantified sub-target within a commitment that also encompasses pathway prevention and eradication.

GBF Target 7: Pollution reduction — Addressed

National commitment 8 commits that by 2030, pollution from all sources — excess nutrients, pesticides, chemicals, plastics, noise, and light — is prevented, controlled, or minimised to levels not harmful to biodiversity, in line with EU and international commitments. Implementing instruments include the National Action Plan on Sustainable Use of Pesticides and a revised Nitrates Action Programme to be adopted by 2027. The Polluter Pays Principle is adopted as a guiding principle, holding polluters liable for environmental damage and promoting pollution prevention and control. The target's scope explicitly encompasses noise and light pollution alongside chemical and nutrient pollution.

GBF Target 8: Climate and biodiversity — Addressed

National commitment 7 commits to increasing the coordinated and strategic application of nature-based solutions, including blue-green infrastructure, to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, noise abatement, ecosystem resilience, and urban biodiversity. Action 7.1 requires interlinkages between climate change and biodiversity to be recognised and integrated into policy tools, ensuring mitigation and adaptation measures incorporate nature-based solutions and avoid negative impacts on biodiversity. National commitment 3 prioritises restoration of ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change and those with the highest climate mitigation potential. The NBSAP frames the climate and biodiversity crises as "strictly interdependent" in its introductory chapter [§3].

GBF Target 9: Wild species use — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not contain a dedicated commitment addressing wild species use in relation to benefits for people in vulnerable situations. Action 11.2 commits to maintaining and restoring fish stocks to maximum sustainable yield levels. Action 9.2 strengthens legislation on trade of protected species and invasive alien species. These provisions address sustainable use of wild species but do not engage with the social dimensions of GBF Target 9 regarding livelihoods or benefits for vulnerable populations.

GBF Target 10: Agriculture / forestry — Addressed

National commitment 10 commits that by 2030, uptake of sustainable agricultural practices, including organic farming, increases significantly. Malta's CAP Strategic Plan is to contribute to biodiversity conservation by 2027 by promoting agri-environmental and climate commitments, encouraging agroecological practices such as organic farming, and supporting high-diversity landscape features through non-productive investments. National commitment 11 addresses fisheries and aquaculture sustainability, with Malta's Aquaculture Multiannual National Plan to be reviewed and updated by 2025. A national forestation policy framework aligned with the EU Forest Strategy encompasses the National Trees and Woodland Strategy and Action Plan.

GBF Target 11: Ecosystem services (NbS) — Addressed

National commitment 7 commits to increasing the strategic application of nature-based solutions and blue-green infrastructure for climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem resilience, and urban biodiversity. Action 2.5 commits to establishing a national policy framework on pollinators by 2027, addressing pressures, threats, and knowledge gaps — a standalone pollinator framework with a fixed initiation deadline. Action 16.1 commits to further integrating the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services in national policies and planning processes. The Mitigation Hierarchy is adopted as a guiding principle to limit negative impacts on biodiversity and achieve biodiversity net gain. Ecosystem services valuation is linked to private sector non-financial disclosure under national commitment 15.

GBF Target 12: Urban biodiversity — Addressed

National commitment 7 commits to increasing the strategic application of blue-green infrastructure to support urban biodiversity. Action 7.2 commits to greening initiatives that improve access to green spaces, ecological coherence and connectivity, urban biodiversity, and pollution levels including noise and air pollution. National commitment 13 commits to promoting the benefits of biodiversity to human wellbeing and health by improving access to green spaces. Urban biodiversity is linked to both climate action and human health dimensions in the strategy.

GBF Target 13: Genetic resources / ABS — Addressed

Action 4.5 commits to regulating access to national genetic resources through the National Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing. Action 19.4 supports efforts to preserve and transfer traditional knowledge — including agricultural and fishing practices, ethnobotanical and agrobiodiversity knowledge — through sponsorships and other forms of collaboration. The National ABS regime is referenced as an existing instrument; the NBSAP commits to its implementation rather than to establishing a new mechanism.

GBF Target 14: Mainstreaming — Addressed

The NBSAP identifies itself as the principal instrument for driving the integration of biodiversity concerns into sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes, and policies, covering both public and private sectors. National commitment 15 commits to mainstreaming biodiversity across the private sector; Action 15.1 encourages non-financial disclosure of natural capital impacts and dependencies, guided by the CBD Long-term Strategic Approach to Mainstreaming Biodiversity. National commitment 16 promotes biodiversity considerations across public sector policies, regulations, plans, programmes, strategies, and accounts. Action 5.2 ensures Environmental Impact Assessments and Appropriate Assessments evaluate adverse effects on biodiversity for projects and activities.

GBF Target 15: Business disclosure — Addressed

National commitment 15 commits that by 2030, pressures on biodiversity from economic activities are reduced while positive impacts are increased by mainstreaming biodiversity across the private sector, supporting the transition towards sustainable technologies and practices along supply, trade, and value chains. Action 15.1 encourages the private sector to value its impacts and dependencies upon natural capital, including biodiversity, and disclose them in non-financial statements in order to better integrate natural capital into decision-making. This is guided by the CBD Long-term Strategic Approach to Mainstreaming Biodiversity.

GBF Target 16: Sustainable consumption — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not contain a dedicated commitment on sustainable consumption or food waste reduction. National commitment 14's market-based instruments — deposit-refund systems, environmental labelling, fiscal instruments promoting the internalisation of environmental costs — support a shift towards circular economy and value chains supporting biodiversity. These instruments address economic incentive structures relevant to consumption patterns but do not set commitments on consumption reduction or food waste as specified in GBF Target 16.

GBF Target 17: Biosafety — Addressed

National commitment 12 commits that by 2030, potential adverse impacts of biotechnology on biodiversity and associated risks to human health are prevented, managed, and controlled. Action 12.1 requires the National Biosafety Framework Strategy to be updated by 2027 to account for new obligations, emerging issues, and new techniques, and implemented accordingly. Action 12.2 commits to implementing the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol to ensure the safe transport, handling, and use of living modified organisms.

GBF Target 18: Harmful subsidies — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not contain a dedicated commitment to identify, assess, or phase out biodiversity-harmful subsidies or incentives. National commitment 14's market-based instruments and the adoption of the Polluter Pays Principle as a guiding principle provide an indirect framework for aligning economic incentives with biodiversity goals. No explicit commitment to subsidy identification or reform appears in the source material.

GBF Target 19: Finance mobilisation — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not set a quantified biodiversity finance mobilisation target. Action 20.2 commits to providing Official Development Assistance to third countries for biodiversity programmes, where possible, in line with the National Implementation Plan on Official Development Assistance Policy — this addresses outward ODA flows rather than domestic finance mobilisation, and carries a "where possible" qualifier. Resource mobilisation is acknowledged in the concluding remarks as an enabling condition for implementation but receives no quantified commitment. No national commitment corresponds to GBF Target 19.

GBF Target 20: Capacity and technology — Addressed

Capacity building and institutional strengthening appear across multiple national commitments. National commitment 17 commits to expanding audience-targeted communication, education, and public awareness programmes covering a wider range of biodiversity-related topics, ensuring residents have relevant information, awareness, and capacities. Action 16.4 strengthens intersectoral cooperation through improved direct communication channels and inter-institutional cooperation agreements and committees. National commitment 19 commits to collecting and making accessible quality data and information for effective biodiversity management. The concluding remarks identify capacity building, knowledge generation and sharing, technical and scientific cooperation, technology transfer, and innovation as enabling conditions for NBSAP implementation.

GBF Target 21: Data and information — Addressed

National commitment 19 commits that by 2030, quality data and information is collected and made accessible to decision-makers and the public for effective biodiversity management. Action 19.3 commits to maintaining and updating Malta's Clearing-House Mechanism as a one-stop shop for biological information on species and habitats, and to launching a National Biodiversity Database incorporating updated red data lists by 2027. Action 13.3 commits to developing biodiversity indicators by 2027, including indicators to enable the integration of biodiversity in wellbeing and quality of life indices and assessments. The National Biodiversity Database represents a named data infrastructure product with a fixed launch deadline and a defined linkage to red data lists and the CHM architecture.

GBF Target 22: Inclusive participation — Mentioned

The NBSAP adopts a whole-of-society approach as a guiding principle, recognising and promoting the roles and contributions of individuals, local communities, civil society (including NGOs and religious institutions), academia, and the private sector in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. National commitment 18 commits to strengthening the role of voluntary bodies, local councils, and society in NBSAP implementation. The NBSAP does not include specific provisions for indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth, or other marginalised groups as distinct categories in biodiversity decision-making, as envisaged by GBF Target 22.

GBF Target 23: Gender equality — Not identified

Content addressing GBF Target 23 was not identified in this NBSAP.