Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/490723
Events 28 maltatoday, Sunday, 5 april 2015 Lights out as HSBC Malta joins worldwide branches for WWF's Earth Hour 2015 HSBC Malta participated in Earth Hour for the eighth consecutive year, by switching off non critical lighting and air-conditioning lead- ing to an estimated saving of 49kgs of greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent to emissions by 37 households. The bank joined counterpart of- fices in 35 countries to switch off their lights to show support for World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Earth Hour. The annual campaign led by WWF once again called upon in- dividuals and businesses across the world to switch off their lights for one hour on Saturday, 28 March at 8.30pm local time. HSBC offices and branches in countries across the globe have been supporting Earth Hour since 2009. Thousands of HSBC employ- ees around the world showed their personal support by participating in local Earth Hour events. Josef Camilleri, HSBC Mal- ta Head of Sustainability said, "HSBC Malta values this highly symbolic international campaign to raise awareness about energy consumption. We also sold 4,000 candles in aid of WaterAid Ghana project which is part of our larger HSBC Water Programme. Addi- tionally, we encouraged all schools in Malta to hold a lights-out event and were extremely pleased with their strong response in purchas- ing candles." Also complementing the event were dozens of scouts who walked from Tigne Point to St George Square, Valletta where they lit 1,000 candles. "Managing our own environ- mental footprint supports business efficiency and is part of our long- term commitment to operating in a sustainable way. Earth Hour re- minds us that energy is a valuable resource and it's important we use it efficiently." added Mr Camilleri. HSBC Group is committed to re- ducing its annual carbon emissions by one tonne per employee, from 3.5 in 2012 to 2.5 by 2020. Smart Water Infrastructures, Inno- vative Water Technologies, Water Reuse, Water Education and Inno- vative Financial Solutions in Wa- ter were amongst the main topics addressed during an international conference organised as part of Malta Water Week. The event, organised by Paragon Europe at the Excelsior Hotel pro- moted the huge strides that Malta has accomplished in the field of water management and brought foreign experts and local SMEs to- gether to discuss business ideas and seek funding for their water-related projects. Paragon Europe is a Maltese com- pany helping local and international companies meet European counter- parts to develop EU projects, busi- ness collaborations and source R&I finance. In his introductory speech, Dr Anton Theuma drew parallels with Singapore, a country who like Malta has very limited resources when it comes to water and explained how the country had managed to turn its water problems to opportunities and strengths. "Malta is experiencing increasing demands tied to intricate desalina- tion processes. Yet, like Singapore, Malta has the capability to turn these challenges into strengths and opportunities. We need to partici- pate in more eu water projects and consortia, establish more links with international water clusters repre- sented through we.eu and we need water as a theme to take centre stage as one of the country's priorities. What Malta needs to achieve is to bring the industry, science and pub- lic authorities together to be able to move towards more sustainable so- lutions. We also need more involve- ment from ngo's and civil societies about water issues." "The way forward would be invest- ing more in water research facilities and to attract internationally-recog- nised research institutions to nur- ture cross-collaborations between sectors. Local SMEs need to show more proactivitiy by seeking active participation in research collabora- tions and tap more into international donor funding." "I am pleased that Malta Water Week has managed to attract busi- nesses, academics, NGOs, public and private experts. Many will be par- ticipating remotely through video conferencing tools and as such, this event is an ideal place to share best practice and to establish investment opportunitites and collaborations. We have to tap into these opportuni- ties and we have to stand for innova- tion. "We believe in innovation which does not have to be costly and in stakeholder engagement and partici- pation. There is no need to reinvent the wheel because best practice is al- ready there. We just have to be willing to collaborate with those who have been there. National and EU funds need to be properly optimised and whilst SMEs should be leading initia- tives, government should be lending its support," concluded Theuma. Caseificio 'La Maltesa' uses an Italian methodology of artisan master cheese making, using fresh local products, manufacturing and supplying fresh cheeses every day. Our Italian artisan cheese mak- ers still transform the white milk into fresh cheese with their own expert hands using the same tech- niques passed onto them by the previous generations, using the old methods and aided by simple machinery to keep the artisanal products faithful to their origins. The artisan cheese makers hail- ing from Italy (Puglia and Campa- nia Regions) and take their mozza- rella very seriously as for them it is a form of art and the fresh cheese is regarded as a vital ingredient in the daily Mediterranean diet! We at 'La Maltesa' along with our professional team of master cheese makers have made sure that our delicious products once tasted are never forgotten! We kindly invite to visit our out- let to taste our products and also view live the art of cheese making Live at 36, Testaferrata Street, Ta'Xbiex. The outlet is open from Mondays to Fridays between 1000hrs & 1800hrs – Saturdays between 0900hrs & 1500hrs. Please visit our website www. la-maltesa.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lamaltesa La Maltesa brings fresh mozzarella to Ta' Xbiex Malta Water Week looks at innovation and research as key drivers for SME growth "The banking community considers financial education as a very impor- tant issue to be tackled actively. It is an essential component of the em- powerment of consumers as it gives them a better understanding of how to manage their finances, and how to avoid unnecessary risks, exces- sive debt and possibly, financial ex- clusion. "Moreover, it enables people to improve their understanding of the financial opportunities that the products which are available to them may offer." This was stated by the Secretary General of the Malta Bankers' Association, James Bonel- lo, in his welcome address at the seminar entitled 'Financial Literacy – Let's get focused'. The seminar, which was held at the Le Meridien Hotel, St Julians, formed part of the European Mon- ey Week actvities organised by the Malta Bankers' Association, and was targeted at the teaching profes- sion as well as HR personnel from the local banks. The European Money Week con- sists of a series of events both at national and European levels, with the aim of raising public awareness on financial literacy and improv- ing financial education for students from junior and secondary schools. The overall objective is to improve the level of financial education in Europe. Bonello added, "A number of inter- national surveys have shown a rather low level of understanding of finan- cial matters and of basic economics among the average consumer. Even relatively straightforward financial products can appear quite complex to the average citizen who has little or no financial education. "Many individuals fail to plan ahead or to choose products that meet their needs. This exposes them to the risk of falling into debt and of experiencing difficulties in the event of some unexpected ad- verse circumstance. It also makes it harder for individuals to ensure a satisfactory standard of living in retirement. So ultimately, financial education is all about improving the financial well-being of individ- uals and society." The seminar was opened by Joseph Caruana, Permanent Sec- retary in the Ministry for Educa- tion and Employment, and was also addressed by Gaetano Bugeja, Director of the Department of Cur- riculum Management within the Directorate for Quality and Stand- ards in Education, as well as Lor- raine Dimech Magrin and Carmen Muscat, both Education Officers within that Department. Presentations were also given by two foreign speakers: Cameron Leeder, Training and Volunteer En- gagement Manager from the Char- tered Banker Institute, Scotland, and Daniele Scauso, representing Child & Youth Finance Interna- tional. The Seminar was concluded with a discussion panel which was moderated by Peter Calleya, Vice- President, Institute of Financial Services, Malta, and the participa- tion of Geoffrey Bezzina, Director, Consumer Complaints Unit, MF- SA, Leonid McKay, Director, Cari- tas Malta and Victor Rizzo Giusti, Financial Consultant. Apart from the seminar, the Eu- ropean Money Week activities also include students' visit to the Cen- tral Bank of Malta, a Q&A com- petition for children, a "Money Matters" Programme for around 400 Year 6 pupils at the Education Department's Home Economics Seminar Centre, as well as various guest appearances on popular TV and radio programmes. Malta Bankers' Association hosts seminar on financial literacy as part of first European Money Week activities Anton Theuma, Paragon Europe Schoolchildren and candlelights