Abigail Cutajar’s path to becoming CEO of the Climate Action Authority is anything but accidental. It’s a calculated convergence of curiosity, responsibility, and a core conviction to engineer impact. From an early age, she has been intrigued by how systems function. This curiosity soon crystallized into a career focused on turning policy into practice. She begins with a foundation in mechanical engineering, but it’s the collision of innovation and real-world impact that draws her into the world of sustainable energy and climate resilience. Drawn by the catalytic power of policy to shift systems at scale, her path veers from engineering into public service.
Abigail credits her evolution to her mentors, both women and men, who encouraged her to think boldly, as well as to the rising generation, who never let her forget what was at stake. Their influence, she says, and her own drive to tackle complexity sharpened her leadership approach while keeping the long game in view.
Now, at the forefront of the Climate Action Authority, she doesn’t just manage frameworks or chase carbon targets. Instead, Abigail is building something designed to endure. She describes, “For me, it’s about shaping a legacy of action, equity, and resilience for the future.”
Milestones That Move the Needle
She doesn’t lead with titles. She leads with action. But if there’s one through-line to her journey, it’s this: she’s never waited for the system to catch up. She moves first, then builds what’s needed.
Ranked as one of ‘The Most Inspiring Women in Business to Follow, 2025,’ Abigail’s path is shaped by quiet resolve and bold decisions. One of her earliest milestones was earning her engineering degree, a leap that opened her eyes to something bigger. She began to ask how systems connect, and who gets to shape them.
Before “green” entered Malta’s mainstream, Abigail saw a gap and stepped into it. She became the nation’s first registered LEED Accredited Professional, opening the door to large-scale projects in energy efficiency and renewable. The work pulled her into boardrooms and cross-functional teams where progress depends more on listening than leading.
However, her most defining chapter began with a blank page, offering the opportunity to help establish and lead Malta’s Climate Change Authority, the first dedicated body of its kind in Europe. It demanded more than expertise. It required vision, clarity, and the courage to lead without a blueprint. Abigail built from the ground up, assembling a team of sharp minds, aligning diverse stakeholders, and anchoring the institution in purpose. Watching it take root as a national force for climate action has been deeply fulfilling for Abigail.
Still, she’s just as proud of what happens behind the scenes, such as drafting policies, shaping strategy, and quietly embedding sustainability into the country’s operating logic. For Abigail, success lives in the ripple effects with stronger frameworks, smarter tools, and a nation more aware of what’s at stake. These milestones matter because they carry forward the shared vision.
The Quiet Power of Intentional Work-Life Balance
This alacritous professional treats balance as a way of working. She believes that how a leader shows up, both mentally and physically, sets the tone for everyone around them. That’s why she protects her time and priorities with intention. Abigail plans ahead, delegates when needed, and sets firm boundaries to make room for rest, family, and a life beyond the desk.
Her mornings always begin with physical training. Besides fitness, it helps her stay grounded before the day speeds up. The habit keeps her steady, especially in a space like climate work, where the pace is fast, and the stakes are constant. She encourages her team to care for their health, too, believing that well-being should be part of the work culture, not an afterthought.
What keeps Abigail going is simple: she believes in what she’s doing. She feels, “Having a passion for your work is essential for achieving the right balance.” When the work feels real, it doesn’t exhaust her. It energises her. And that energy follows her home, where she’s more present, more open, and more alive to the world around her.
Redefining Success: Steady Work, Shared Values
Some of Abigail’s proudest moments aren’t public or polished. They happen in team rooms, during quiet progress, when someone finds their voice or an idea quietly takes hold. In the world of sustainability, she sees success not as a single breakthrough but as a steady push against the status quo. It’s about creating something better for the present while keeping future generations firmly in view.
She acknowledges that the road is rarely smooth. Progress comes with its share of personal and professional hurdles. However, growth is part of the deal, which involves learning, adjusting, and expanding your skill set as you progress. For Abigail, genuine success also means building trust. That means investing in real relationships, both within the Authority and with stakeholders across borders, who are equally committed to building a more responsible world.
To her, professional success means driving real progress in climate resilience and sustainability.
She lights up when people feel ownership of the work, when confidence grows within the team, and when policies evolve into real-world outcomes. That’s what gives her work purpose.
On a personal level, for Abigail, success means staying true to her values, growing through the hard parts, and doing meaningful work without needing the spotlight. It’s about listening deeply and moving the needle where it counts. At her core, what energises her is a disarmingly simple truth: “Knowing that what I do can make a difference, however small, keeps me focused and motivated.” Quiet consistency, she states, gets things done.
Leading Without a Map
Nothing about Abigail’s rise has been handed to her. It’s been earned, step by step, in spaces that weren’t always built to welcome her. One of the steepest climbs that came early on was managing a team of technicians in a male-dominated environment, where she had to prove her competence before anyone would hand her credibility.
Driving change in environments clouded by resistance or indifference demanded resilience. Especially in the early days, aligning stakeholders, cutting through institutional inertia, and translating ambition into action often felt like pushing against a wall.
But Abigail doesn’t flinch from friction. She’s learned that progress rarely arrives in big, sweeping moments. It’s built through persistence, by earning trust, and by communicating the ‘why’ clearly, steadily, and in terms that make sense to everyone in the room.
Some of her most defining leadership moments came with no master plan. Breaking into the Green Certification industry and setting up Malta’s Climate Action Authority both came with no roadmap. It was thrilling, yes, but also daunting. What carried her through was a refusal to go it alone. She built teams with complementary expertise, listened more than she spoke, and stayed committed to the bigger picture, even when short-term progress felt elusive.
Every challenge, she reflects, has taught her something new about systems, about people, and about herself. More importantly, it has reaffirmed what she believes to her core: “Leadership is about service, learning, and staying focused on the bigger picture.”
Giving People Room to Do Their Best Work
Abigail keeps her approach to team-building straightforward by hiring smart, capable people and giving them the space to do what they do best. At the Climate Action Authority, where the work is both technical and fast-moving, she sets a clear direction and then steps aside so others can lead.
She believes structure matters, but not at the cost of creativity. Her role is to provide clarity, not control. Decisions are shared, ideas welcomed, and reflection baked into how the team learns and collaborates.
What matters most to her is trust—in people’s expertise, in open conversations, and in communication that stays honest, even when it’s hard. That’s the environment she works to build every day: one where people feel ownership of the work and where no one needs permission to excel.
Turning Vision into Action: Leading the Climate Transition with Purpose
At the heart of the Authority’s mandate is a clear, resolute mission to align national climate aspirations with real, accountable action. Abigail explains that its work is grounded in delivering practical solutions, shaping policy, and forging collaboration between the public and private sectors to steer the country toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
She notes the Authority is working to embed climate resilience into daily life and empower communities to actively drive the transition. It’s about connecting the dots between knowledge and action, aligning today’s decisions with tomorrow’s consequences. But, she adds, impact at scale is only possible through shared commitment. “We aim to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, connect various sectors, and link today’s choices to tomorrow’s realities.” Without a unified public-private response, the urgency of climate action remains out of reach.
Earning Public Trust through Real Participation
Trust is a foundation-built brick by brick, without fanfare and with intention. Abigail knows it. From its inception, the Climate Action Authority has gathered Malta’s foremost academics and professionals. These aren’t mere figureheads; they’re active contributors shaping the sector’s future.
But expertise alone isn’t enough. She feels real trust grows out of openness. That’s precisely why the Authority is rolling out initiatives like the Local Climate Dialogue and a National Climate Monitoring Dashboard. These aren’t mere tools. They function as transparent conduits for public engagement, regularly updated and readily accessible. For Abigail, this goes beyond only disseminating data. It’s about accountability and transparency for every step forward.
Advice Carved from Experience
Abigail advises aspiring leaders, especially women, stepping into the high-stakes world of energy, climate, and sustainability, to let curiosity and an appetite to make a difference be their compass. When those two forces are at play, she believes, no challenge is insurmountable. The drive to shape a better world, she says, will push you through even the most complex domain, and it’s that drive that transforms a career into a calling.
She suggests to these aspirants, “It is essential to establish your technical foundation while also discovering your unique voice and leadership style.” Resilience, she adds, is non-negotiable. This is a space that demands the courage to disrupt, confront systems that resist change, and persevere through setbacks. But when those barriers are broken, she insists, the satisfaction will be immense. These are lessons Abigail didn’t read in a book. She learned them the hard way, shaped by the wisdom of those who came before her and the scars earned along the way.
Launching a Climate Authority and a Movement
When asked about a standout innovative project, Abigail points to the Climate Action Authority itself. Still, in its first year, it stands as Europe’s first dedicated body for climate action. This, indeed, is a monumental achievement. She considers it the launchpad for a wave of ambitious initiatives. Beyond its regulatory mandate, the Authority indorses proactive engagement, prioritising education and innovation to embed sustainability into daily life and empower communities to own the transition ahead.
Passing Knowledge On and Pulling People In
This C-suite executive regards knowledge transfer not as something that happens by default but by design. Reports and briefings are fine. However, at the Climate Action Authority, where experienced professionals work alongside newbies, Abigail’s approach is osmotic. She concentrates on creating an environment where sharing is encouraged and embedded into team operations.
When the Authority absorbed the functions of the former Malta Resources Authority, it brought together people with different levels of experience and roles. That transition, she says, made collaboration essential. Senior experts are valued not just for their output but for how they mentor others and help ideas take root.
To keep the knowledge flowing, the Authority pairs seasoned staff with newcomers, documents institutional learnings and runs cross-functional projects that bridge teams. One example Abigail highlights is the close collaboration between scientists, technical staff, and the communications team working together to translate complex work into something the public can understand and connect with.
The Vision: Laying the Groundwork for What Comes Next
The work of climate planning isn’t a matter of picking sides between progress and the planet. Rather, it’s about ensuring that environmental protection and economic development advance hand in hand. That’s how the Climate Action Authority sees its role in helping Malta grow in a way that’s smart, fair, and future-ready.
Its CEO, Abigail, explains that the Authority is involved in everything from updating school curricula and reducing plastic waste to improving energy systems and encouraging nature-based solutions. In the engine room, they’re working with other national bodies on long-term goals, like modernizing the power grid, investing in renewables, and guiding Malta toward its climate neutrality target by 2050.
She points to the climacteric efforts already underway, including the country’s first-ever Climate Adaptation Plan and efforts to incorporate climate risks into the country’s planning and infrastructure development. International partnerships are also key, as the Authority taps into EU funding and opens doors for collaboration with companies and NGOs abroad. “It’s not a balancing act,” Abigail concludes with conviction. “It’s about integration, foresight, and collective responsibility.”
