Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1285850
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 SEPTEMBER 2020 Miriam Dalli is a Labour MEP (S&D) Sandro Chetcuti is President of the Malta Developers Association OPINION Sandro Chetcuti Reboot and move forward selves in being innovators, striv- ing to be a digital, modern and forward-looking nation. On the other hand, there are aspects pertaining to our eco- nomic development that we have neglected over the years. Our local food supply is a clear example. We need to stop de- pending on foreign imports for the provision of food that can be produced locally, for the sake of our farmers, our nutrition, our biodiversity, our food affordabil- ity and for the sake of all those operating in the food chain. We now need to take stock of the reality and take it a step further, by encouraging young thinkers, policy makers, inno- vators, people in the business community and people from all walks to life to think innovative- ly, with the clear understanding that economic growth should not precede our commitments, such as curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. There is an economic opportunity for which we need to start planning as from today. We need our architects, engi- neers and designers to consider energy efficiency as indispensa- ble components in their work. We need investors to consider environmental sustainability as the worthiest cause for invest- ment and we need to work hand in hand with international part- ners in order to improve global environmental standards. We need to seriously think of ways in which to decouple economic growth from the use of finite re- sources. Such a way of thinking must no longer be considered a luxury but rather a necessity if we want to improve our lives through the very air we breathe and the food we eat. This is precisely why together with David Xuereb, president of The Malta Chamber, Abigail Cutajar, LLED green associate at QP Design and Konrad Pule, chair of the Sustainability Malta Committee of the Malta Cham- ber, we are working to ensure a pathway to sustainability. We want to do this by reaching out to different stakeholders and gather different ideas. We want to push for change. Ultimately, this can be Malta's moment if we put all our focus on the fact that we are not facing one pandemic, but two. It can be our moment if we treat both challenges with equal measures of urgency, common will and in- novation, for our sake and that of generations to come. Miriam Dalli, David Xuereb, Abigail Cutajar and Konrad Pule have come together with a com- mon goal: to ensure a pathway to sustainability. The objective of this opinion is to bring on board more stakeholders THIS month marks the first dec- ade of the Malta Developers As- sociation. It has been a long haul and as president of the MDA and one of its founders, I can satis- factorily say that since our hum- ble beginnings in 2010, we have managed to make steady progress and achieved more than we have ever imagined. Today, MDA is the voice of a unified industry – it has contributed immensely to the tens of thousands who work daily in the industry and to the economic benefit of our country. This has not been an easy jour- ney. Just ten years ago, even though construction and devel- opment has always been one of the main economic pillars of an island with no natural resources since time immemorial, we had a situation where the major play- ers in the industry did not even bother to talk to each other, let alone discuss, consult and come out with meaningful and tangible proposals. We had a cacophony of lone voices, with different ide- as, haphazard methods and work practices and where the author- ities that be and civil society at large did not even know who to speak to in order to come up with solutions. Fortunately, this has become the past. Today, after so much hard work, effort and most important- ly good will, particularly from developers, large and small, the MDA has become a strong voice and a solid interlocutor with all those who want to discuss ideas and propose solutions, from gov- ernment, opposition, constituted bodies, non-governmental asso- ciations and society at large. As with every other industry, there is always room for improvement. In fact I am the first to admit that the industry is not perfect – MDA will continue working hard and push for government and the policy makers to insist on better work practices and to have better holistic planning. Over the past years there were instances where MDA was harsh- ly criticized, even for things which it does not have any control over such as 'creative' policy interpre- tation and lack of enforcement – this is not our role, it is the role of the policy maker and of the en- forcement authority. That said, I will not point any fingers to those who criticized us, but I will point it at ourselves and acknowledge that as an association we could have done things better and we should have explained MDA's re- mit and role better. Nonetheless, today everyone recognises that the MDA has managed to bring the lone and sporadic individu- al voices of the various industry players together. Today everyone recognises that MDA is a profes- sional organisation with various structures and which contributes through dialogue and studies to- wards the best way how to safe- guard our future. Today, all the authorities and civil society or- ganisations know that they have a strong interlocuter to debate with and come to tangible proposals and solutions. Now it is time to look ahead. As the MDA has managed to grow, representing hundreds of players, not only developers but a wide range of closely related interests, from landlords, estate agents, quarry owners to renew- able energy service providers, it is now time to take the next impor- tant step – a leap forward to raise the bar across the board. The MDA's vision for the next ten years is very clear. Our vision is to make the industry more pro- fessional, more dynamic, better regulated and more sensitive to the needs of the community and the environment in which it op- erates. We want to champion better protection of the natural environ- ment. Development and the en- vironment should not be looked at as enemies but as protagonists in which both can live and work together. After all, what's the use of having nice and comfortable buildings all over the island if, when you step out of them, you are in a chaotic, overpopulated and dilapidated country with no- where to go and enjoy some qual- ity time with family and friends. While it is a fact of life that no country can do away with devel- opment, the secret lies in keeping our industry growing in a new framework which respects our new way of living and in total re- spect of our heritage, culture and the environment. The time has also come for us to build a new bridge with the public, especially neighbours of development pro- jects which are faced with many uncomfortable situations par- ticular when a particular develop- ment is taking place. Unfortunately, some things, such as noise, dust, road devia- tions and others cannot be elim- inated completely as these are part and parcel of the industry. However, we will keep pushing for proper enforcement to ensure that the industry is respecting the minimum criteria set out at law. On the other hand, MDA will be launching a set of initiatives aimed towards better work practices to try and close the gap where the law and enforcement fail. This is why a few weeks ago we came out with the Safer Neighbourhood Scheme – a first of many MDA initiatives to come – aimed at em- powering our neighbours. From the start of this month, all those who live adjacent to a development project have the right to choose their own Perit to evaluate the method statement and condition report drawn up in terms of the law, and get a refund from the MDA developer to cov- er the associated cost. Since the MDA is not the regula- tor, it can only oblige it members to abide by this scheme. Howev- er, we urge all other non-member developers to emulate MDA's example and follow suit to show that safety and health are a prior- ity. We believe that through the Safer Neighbourhood Scheme initiative, we are being proactive and doing our utmost to make sure that rules are followed to the letter and that neighbours have the right tools to address prob- lems if need arises. After all, we believe that preven- tion is better than cure. Let's all make sure that we work together to continue to move forward.