This paper spans across the three pillars of sustainability and outlines how a sustainability index can be applied in the context of the building industry, using Malta as a case study. Sustainability criteria are identified which can help promote a culture change in the way most of our clients view a project as different from a contractor’s point of view. Design considerations are also dealt with pointing one way forward if Malta really wants to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Highlighted issues touch on the visual impact (aesthetics), materials, embodied energy, lighting, space heating and finally ending with an epilogue on land use and waste management, being only the tip of the ‘mountain’ in Malta.