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Malta Business Review CLIMATE CHANGE Continued from page 44 In her intervention, Professor Simone Borg, Malta’s Climate Change Ambassador, pointed to the EU plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and outlined the three main pillars of climate action: mitigation (reducing emissions), adaptation to climate change and, most important and perhaps challenging of all, the governance of climate change issues. Being a very crosssectoral subject, climate change does not just concern environmental issues and if we are to acquire a low-carbon economy and achieve net-zero emissions, we require a radical shift in the way we presently do things. With this aim, the EU has required all its Member States to each have a plan of how to achieve a low-carbon economy, while establishing also its own Energy and Climate Plan. This features targets for 2020 and 2030, which targets are a means to an end and are meant to put all the Member States on track to eventually become netzero emitters by 2050. Being a group of member countries, the EU has the strength of not just being a promoter of climate action, but also of being a union of states which help each other out so that the reduction in emissions is achieved collectively. At the same time, it has a most rigorous legal framework that imposes legal obligation on members to reduce emissions. It has addressed climate change mitigation in sectors like power stations, industries, agriculture, waste, and land, air and maritime transport. Prof. Borg remarked that Malta is currently experiencing a works-in-progress attitude towards reaching its climate action targets, and that it has to be mindful that it has certain realities that other MS do not have - a small territory, the economies of scale, its isolation - which all contribute to making our choices more limited. Nonetheless, these same factors can be regarded as strengths too, such as working closer together because we are smaller. She mentioned how, in 2016, the Climate Action Board watchdog was set up, with the aim to sensitise the sectors and materialise stakeholder Dialogue. Prof. Borg gave examples of the rewarding experience of various sectors of Maltese society that embarked on their own climate action campaigns, from Ekoskola, to a campaign set up by the nursing department at UOM; from the various activities organised by the Malta Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, to initiatives taken by certain hotels to make their tourist product eco-friendly and less energy intensive. Mr. Mark Sultana, Birdlife Malta CEO, remarked that the biggest challenge to politicians is to get people to take policies on board. A clear example of this was the plastic bag ban loophole. In this sense, it is not just about policy, it is about explaining to the people why we are introducing policies. He emphasized the importance of explaining to the people the issue and the risks of climate change, the need for people to start voicing more their concerns with nature, and that a massive participation by the civil society in this regard would result in a stronger lobby power and the demand for politicians with a backbone. He pointed to the fact that we humans are part of nature and that messing up with nature is messing up with ourselves. People are worried that if sea levels continue to rise, we will lose Għadira, the Sliema waterfront and the Maltese wetlands. He also mentioned how, despite the closing-down of the Marsa power station, today we recurrently have 6 or 7 cruise liners docked in port, using the dirtier sulphur fuel in the Mediterranean than that used in the North Sea, which has lead to a worsening air quality. This, he said, is unfair, and that is why they were pushing against it around the EU. Mr Sultana continued by saying that the civil society organisations (CSOs) see the EU as a watchdog that makes sure governments do what they’re supposed to do, and that they want the European Commission to push harder. CSOs exist because there is a gap in government. When governments have conscience, there would be no need for such organisations, Mr Sultana added. He concluded by saying that, on the local level, the EU is inviting CSOs where the government is not inviting them, and that is the reason why we need the EU. With reference to the recent European elections, he concluded that CSOs are empowered by the vote and that we need to have a good turnout in the 2019 European Elections so we would have a stronger voice when we talk to the EU. Concluding, Prof. Borg said that climate action is a join-the-dot exercise that is meant for everybody - from the grassroots level to the decision-makers, and that it very much depends upon what we as civilians demand and do, and in our capacity as consumers, business people or tourists, to make choices. The more conscious we are of our choices and on how these can contribute to climate mitigation, adaptation to it, and to better governance, the quicker we can achieve net-zero emissions. Replying to a question from the audience, Ms Ghio said that the purpose of the European Commission’s long-term strategy is consultation. To that end, Commissioner Arias Canete and his team have been touring to see where the Member States want to go. On these lines, the June European Council will be decisive, as the EU will be working on the political priorities of the next legislature and, just like climate change was a political priority for the Juncker Commission, it is now up to the citizens, through this consultation process, to push their governments to make sure that climate change remains a political priority and, if anything, that it is strengthened through stronger links with biodiversity, where we are also entering into a crisis. The EU Roadmap to Fighting Climate Change was organised jointly by the European Parliament Liaison Office and the Gozo NGOs Association as part of the European Parliament’s This Time I’m Voting campaign – www. thistimeimvoting.eu – in Malta www. diddarbasenivvota.eu/ – aiming to give citizens a voice on EU issues that matter to them - in the run up to the European Elections on May 25. MBR 48
CITYWEALTH AWARDS Malta Business Review Equiom, the global professional services provider is pleased to announce that its Global Chief Executive Officer, Sheila Dean has been named ‘Outstanding Individual of the Year’ in the 2019 Citywealth Magic Circle Awards. The Citywealth Magic Circle Awards celebrate the best advisors and managers in the global private wealth sector. Individuals are assessed through a rigorous set of criteria including technical expertise and recommendations, qualifications and experience, demonstrated growth of the business over the past year and leadership initiatives. The winners are selected through a mix of public voting and judging by a panel of industry experts. Sheila’s winning submission highlighted her strong leadership skills and impressive vision for the future of Equiom. Commenting on the win, she said: ‘It is humbling to be recognised in such a significant way by Citywealth. It has been a very successful year for Equiom. We have expanded into two new jurisdictions, launched two additional service lines and established three new offices. As we continue to provide the highest levels of client service, we are always striving to be better in each and every area of our business and this award demonstrates all of our achievements and more. I am proud to accept the award for Outstanding Individual of the Year and know I couldn’t have done it without the support of a strong professional team at my side. I look forward to leading the incredible Equiom team through all of the successes and challenges that the future holds.’ Sheila’s successful career with Equiom has been founded on her belief in building partnerships with clients and intermediaries, some of whom she has worked with for more than 30 years. Shelia has led the company through two management buyouts and 24 acquisitions and has been shortlisted for and won numerous awards over the past eight years. EQUIOM CEO, SHEILA DEAN NAMED OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAR About Equiom We are a global professional services provider, working with you to navigate twists and turns to achieve your ambitions. We provide an unrivalled breadth of bespoke end-to-end wealth protection and support services to private clients, corporate clients and funds to facilitate wealth generation and security. We deliver those services The Equiom Way – with passion, reliability and responsiveness. For information on the regulatory status of our companies, please visit equiomgroup.com/regulatory Equiom’s Award Successes We have been consistently recognised as a leader in professional services sector. To learn more about our awards visit equiomgroup.com/the-equiom-way MBR For more information about Sheila and Equiom, including our award wins, visit The Equiom Way Recycling is crucial. Earlier this month a record-breaking deep sea dive found a plastic bag in the bottom of the Mariana Trench. into dumpsters and skips. Data is then collected from the receptacles and information is shared about what items have been incorrectly placed. They can then see which businesses or restaurants are putting the wrong items in the rubbish bins and encourage them to change. Such measures may seem dramatic, but when we’re dealing with billions of tonnes of recycling generated each day, we need to act now. It’s vital that we get an army of people and machines on board to combat climate crisis. For more information about recycling, Check out Virgin Unite to see how they’re trying to change the world, one project at a time. MBR Courtesy: Virgin Continued from page 45 example so it can sort which grade plastic something is. The Mechatronics Systems Engineering company, at Simon Fraser University, designed a way to transform waste management and businesses by designing smart bins. These bins can sort the rubbish out once it’s in the bin. Using sensors, the bin uses data to decide what to do with the rubbish and where it should be sorted to. Depending on what it has decided, the bin sends the rubbish to the appropriate location, whether that’s a dump or a recycling centre. And it’s not just home and office recycling that’s revolutionising the status quo. San Francisco company Compology aims to use AI to motivate businesses to recycle better by building technology Mark Hall CEO of Business Waste www.maltabusinessreview.net 49
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MBR_ISSUE 51_MAY_low res-compressed (1)

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