A study by Frederick University in Cyprus has ranked Malta fourth among ten major flag states for environmental readiness, placing it in the "upper-middle" tier behind Liberia, the Marshall Islands, and Singapore. The researchers developed a framework assessing fleets on alternative fuel adoption, engine efficiency, and air-pollution compliance. In a balanced scenario giving equal weight to all factors, Malta outperformed Greece (fifth), Cyprus (sixth), and Norway (seventh), while Japan, the United States, and Turkey ranked lowest due to slower adoption of environmental technologies relative to fleet size.