"Malta makes the least use of renewable energy in Europe despite being blessed with sun, wind and sea."

The claim in context

PN Leader Alex Borg has argued that Malta makes the "least use of renewable energy in Europe" despite being "blessed with sun, wind and sea." The framing is a sweeping critique of the government's energy strategy.

The category trap

"Renewable energy" is not one number — it is a basket of categories that look very different from each other. The claim is true in one of those categories and substantially false in another:

Malta is the EU's lowest in renewable electricity (10.7% vs 47.5% EU average) but among the EU's highest in renewable heating and cooling (59.2% vs ~24% EU average), driven by widespread solar water heating. Overall renewable share in final energy consumption is 17.2% — below the EU average, but not the lowest.

Bottom line

True for electricity. False for heating and cooling. Below average but not last for total renewable energy. As a sweeping statement it cherry-picks the worst category. Verdict: Misleading.