Green projects will be prioritized according to expected positive impact on localities – minister

The environmental projects which fall under the responsibility of the new entity Project Green will be prioritized according to the positive impact they are expected to have on localities, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said.

In reply to a parliamentary question posed by PN MP Cressida Galea, Dalli was asked to specify how the environmental projects will be prioritized across Malta and Gozo, in light of the launch of the new agency overseeing these green projects, Project Green.

Dalli said that as a guideline, the projects are being prioritized according to the positive impact they are expected to have on the localities and the quality of life of the citizens and residents in the area.

"The environmental projects under the responsibility of Project Green fall into a number of different categories, and therefore the criteria used to establish the priority of the project varies according to the nature and characteristics of

the project itself," Dalli said.

She said that a number of Green Outputs are being evaluated for each project. Dalli said that these Green Outputs are public and can be accessed from the Project Green website.

These include the amount in square meters of new green spaces created, the level of afforestation linked with the project, the increase in accessibility for alternative mobility, the use of sustainable material in the project itself, and the amount of people who live in less than 10 minutes walking distance from the project.

Priority is also being given to more qualitative factors such as aesthetics and innovation in the project, and the way it adapts to the demography of the area, Dalli said.