Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1509248
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 OCTOBER 2023 10 COMMERCIAL Mental health matters: Atlas Insurance marks Mental Health Awareness Month FOR the fifth consecutive year, Atlas Insurance is once again holding a series of informative and practical webinars to mark World Mental Health Awareness Month, as it takes part in the global effort to promote men- tal health awareness, combat the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and enable individ- uals to assume control over their mental well-being. The webinars that will be held throughout the month of October will be ad- dressed to Atlas Insurance em- ployees, clients and distributors. The first of these webinars is aimed to help the Atlas leader- ship team to develop the knowl- edge and skills required to iden- tify and address appropriately the situations of employees who find themselves in crisis or in a vulnerable state. This webi- nar will be delivered with the assistance of resources made available through ICAS Inter- national's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), of which At- las Healthcare has been an intro- ducer since 2019. The series of webinars proceeds with an information session for Atlas Insurance employees about the impact of nutrition on men- tal health and overall well-being. The session, also put together by ICAS, includes practical tips on nourishing the body and mind, and will be delivered by experts in behavioural science who de- signed the webinar in conjunc- tion with other nutritional ex- perts. The role of emotional intelli- gence in maintaining good men- tal health will be addressed in an- other webinar. The webinar will explore the concepts of emotion- al intelligence and self-awareness in order to develop an under- standing of one's own emotions and those of others, as well as effective emotional management skills. The final webinar themed "Building Better Partner Rela- tionships" is intended to help participants enhance their com- munication abilities by providing a deeper knowledge of relation- ship development. The webinar delves into the various stages and components that constitute a healthy romantic relationship, offering valuable insights and strategies for effective communi- cation within these contexts. ICAS is a global 24/7 inter- national Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), provided by Atlas Healthcare, which pro- vides unlimited direct access to psychologists for employees and their families, as well as local face to face counselling, legal and fi- nancial helplines and support for HR and line managers. Atlas Healthcare Insurance Agency Limited (C32603) is au- thorised under the Insurance Distribution Act to act as En- rolled Insurance Agents for Atlas Insurance PCC Limited. Both entities are regulated by the MF- SA. The NZIA – EU's plan for industrial climate neutrality THE recent forest fires in the Mediter- ranean and the erratic weather condi- tions have clearly indicated that global- ly, we are in a climate emergency. This has economic, social and environmental ramifications. Furthermore, geopolitical tensions, a shortage of critical resources, China's and the United States' advance- ments in Clean Tech are further pushing up Europe's agenda to invest more in its industrial policy based on open strategic autonomy. These developments motivated the EU to launch the ambitious European Green Deal aiming to become the first cli- mate-neutral continent by 2050 based on the Paris Accords. One of the fundamental pillars of the Deal promotes attaining a simplified reg- ulatory framework to improve EU's indus- trial competitive edge via resource-effi- ciency and green investments, thus leading to a swifter green transition. These events compelled the European Commission (EC) to revamp its Industrial Policy, propose a Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), revise the EU State Aid Regula- tion Framework; and initiate the Critical Raw Materials Act. 'Net- zero'? Very often, the meaning of the term 'net zero' is misconceived. This term does not mean nil pollution levels. Rather, it implies cutting down greenhouse gas emissions to as close to 0% as possible. The emissions which would be produced are to be elim- inated from the atmosphere through nat- ural re-absorption, such as through ocean basins. Nonetheless, transitioning to a 'net-zero world' poses numerous challeng- es to various sectors which must heavily invest in replacing current polluting prac- tices with cleaner ones. The proposed Act will strengthen Eu- rope's manufacturing capacity of net-zero technologies to overcome hurdles when scaling up namely through stimulating the production of renewable energy and financing the required infrastructure. This Act will promote the facilitation of net-ze- ro technologies to gain market access through public procurement and private investments. Fostering further innova- tion in manufacturing processes and final products is key and can possibly lead to the development of more regulatory sandbox- es. In the last two years, Malta Enterprise has intensified its efforts at EU level to provide the best support to businesses to capitalise on European opportunities and beyond. Companies interested in obtaining further updates on the NZIA are to contact Malta Enterprise on euaffairs@maltaenterprise. com This article has been written by Greta Camilleri, EU Affairs Manager within the Economic Intelligence, Research, EU Af- fairs Unit at Malta Enterprise Lions Club Mdina - Malta Host signs a twinning agreement with Lions Club Caltagirone A group of committee members and friends, last week, visited Caltagrone It- aly to attend the charter of Lions Club Caltagirone and to sign a pact of friend- ship with the Club. The 20-strong Maltese Lion entourage which was led by Lion President San- dra Genovese and Vice President Judith Debono met with Caltagirone Lion Pres- ident Dott. Ugo Ciulla and Caltagirone officials, who had various meetings with a view to establishing cooperation be- tween the two clubs. The official Exchange of Twinning doc- uments was done on the 24th of Septem- ber after which the members were treat- ed to a lavish lunch at Villa D'Andrea. The Maltese delegation was accompa- nied by officials of Caltagirone on various cultural visits throughout the historic town of Caltagirone, as well as a tour of Enna and Piazza Armeria. The team was also welcomed by the town Mayor Dott. Fabio Roccuzzo. The visit was a memorable experience for both clubs which provided them with the opportunity to strengthen the friend- ship between the two clubs.