Malta has risen in the rankings of progress towards UN sustainability goals despite rising air and sea pollution, according to a recent report. This year, Malta ranked 24th out of 167 countries in the UN Sustainable Development Report 鈥 an improvement of 12 places when compared to last year, when the country ranked 36. Malta achieved a score of 79.3, a two-percentage points improvement over last year and seven points above the regional average. The index from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) tracks progress towards 17 global objectives adopted by UN states in 2015, looking ahead to 2030. The report covers indicators across a range of policy areas including poverty, education, environment, justice and equality. While Malta saw its overall score rise, its objectives in 鈥榪uality education鈥 reached and those covering 鈥榗lean water and sanitation鈥 improve from “major” to “significant” challenges, problems persisted. The most recently available UN data revealed 鈥渕ajor challenges鈥 in ocean health, with Malta’s 鈥榗lean waters score鈥 falling by eight points to 48.9 out of 100. The score measures contamination of national waters by 鈥渃hemicals, excessive nutrients, human pathogens, and trash鈥, according to the SDSN. The report also pointed to an increase in the number of micrograms of fine particles per cubic metre 鈥 a measure of air pollution 鈥 when comparing 2023 to 2024, the most recent year for which data was available. By last year, the annual mean concentration of fine particles measuring just 2.5 millionths of a metre (PM2.5) 鈥 including pollutants such as sulfates, black carbon, nitrates and ammonium 鈥 had risen from 11.8 to 13, remaining more than double the limit recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Such microscopic particles, while small, can be hugely damaging to human health due to being easily absorbed into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to asthma, cancer, strokes and lung disease, and have been linked to car usage and construction, among other factors. Emissions from burning fossil fuels and producing cement slightly increased from last year鈥檚 report 鈥 comparing 2023 and 2022 data, respectively 鈥 with progress slipping from 鈥渕oderately improving鈥 to 鈥渟tagnating鈥. The report noted that Malta鈥檚 score on the international Corruption Perceptions Index fell by five points last year, reaching an all-time low of 46. remains alarmingly off-track, with less than 20% of targets projected to be achieved by 2030. 鈥淵et, global averages mask stark disparities across regions and countries in SDG progress… As in previous years, European, specifically Nordic, countries top the SDG Index.鈥 Pointing to leading countries Finland, Sweden and Denmark, the SDSN noted that 鈥渆ven these countries face challenges in achieving multiple goals and tend to generate large international spillovers, notably due to unsustainable consumption鈥. SDSN president and the report鈥檚 lead author Jeffrey D. Sachs said that despite many countries making significant progress, 鈥渕uch more can be accomplished through stepped-up investments in education, green technologies, and digital solutions鈥. 鈥淎bove all, we need peace and global cooperation to achieve the SDGs鈥, he said, noting the results come amid 鈥渞ising geopolitical tensions, widening global inequalities, and the escalating climate crisis鈥.