Mr Joseph Caruana was born in Marsaxlokk on the 2nd May 1961. He graduated from the University of Malta with a B.A. Honours in Public Administration in 1985 and a Master’s in Business Administration (Executive) with distinction in November 2001.

Mr Caruana joined the Public Service as a student-worker in 1980 and in 1985 was appointed Principal Officer in charge of the Land Department's Revenue Collection function. In 1996 he was appointed Senior Principal and in the same year he was given the additional role of IT Projects Coordinator for the Land Department and the Estate Management Department. In October 1999 he was appointed Director of the Estate Management Department within the Government Property Division. In November 2008 Mr Caruana was assigned the role of Director General Operations in the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport & Communications and also served as a Director of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation.

Mr Caruana was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development, and Climate Change in July 2013. In January 2020, the Ministry was redesignated as the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change, and Planning.

In April 2022, it was renamed the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise, and in January 2024, it became the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour. As of January 2025, the ministry was redesignated as the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Public Cleanliness.

He is also a Sustainable Development Network Board member and Chairman of the Eco-Contribution Approving Body.