Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/825117
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 17 MAY 2017 17 Events Malta's future tied to achieving a Zero Carbon Economy CARBON dioxide (CO2) levels in the air are the highest they have been for 650,000 years, accord- ing to European Space Agency statistics. CO2 is a heat trapping greenhouse gas and levels in the air must be reduced. In fact, the EU's Climate and Energy 2020 package is binding legislation to ensure all EU member states including Malta meet its climate and energy targets for the year 2020; three key targets: 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels) 20% of EU energy from renewables and a 20% improvement in energy ef- ficiency. Attaining the 2020 targets is not enough. The EU is taking ac- tion in several areas to meet the targets if capping global warm- ing at 2C is to be achieved. This is the highest temperature sci- entists estimate the earth can stand before global warming has a catastrophic effect on food production and water reserves, and Malta along with the rest of the Mediterranean is not exempt from the catastrophic effects such a change could bring. While pressure is being put on both the public and private sectors to change the way they operate to reduce their carbon emissions in a bid to mitigate the impact of climate change, Cli- mate-KIC and Paragon Europe are looking at how to achieve a zero carbon economy beyond 2030 to mitigate the severely damaging effects of climate change. Government legisla- tion, the growing green economy and innovations in low carbon technology are helping to drive change and move Malta and our Mediterranean neighbours to- wards a low carbon economy. 200 concerned delegates from all over the world will converge in Malta on May 29 for what promises to be Europe's most important Climate Conference this year, 'Towards a Zero Car- bon Economy by 2030' at the Old University in Valletta, where high-level speakers from the public and private sectors will be presenting their views on how business can move to low carbon operations, how government and EU legislation is helping to tackle this issue, and how financial and technological incentives can as- sist organisations in reducing their carbon footprint. The EU emissions trading sys- tem is the EU's key tool for cut- ting greenhouse gas emissions from large-scale facilities in the power and industry sectors, as well as the aviation sector. The ETS covers around 45% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, National emission reduction targets set by the EU covers the sectors not in the ETS accounting for some 55% of total EU emissions from housing, ag- riculture, and waste and trans- port. EU member countries have also taken on binding national targets for raising the share of renewables in their energy con- sumption by 2020, under the Re- newable Energy Directive. These targets also vary, to reflect coun- tries' different starting points for renewables production and abil- ity to further increase it, from 10% in Malta to 49% in Sweden. Achieving the goals of the 2020 package should help increase the EU's energy security and reduce dependence on imported energy, contributing to achieving a Euro- pean Energy Union that creates jobs, advances green growth and makes Europe more competitive. Climate-KIC and Paragon Eu- rope are highlighting the climate challenges in the cradle of civi- lisation, to create a world's first zero carbon economy solution in the Mediterranean by 2030 and issue an important Valletta Dec- laration from the conference that binds generations to come. By organising a conference around 3 important pillars, the challenges and solutions in green urban centres, circular economy and green finance; the confer- ence will also showcase the key deliverables achieved so far on Smart Sustainable Districts in the Mediterranean. Through- out the conference the focus will be on low carbon mobility concepts, the operation of smart grids, energy neutral buildings, the promotion of efficient water management and improvement of public and green spaces. The conference will be opened by the Hon. José Herrera, Minis- ter for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change. Global expert speakers include Kirsten Dunlop, Chief Executive Officer, Climate-KIC, Dario della Sala, Head of Divi- sion "Sustainable Materials", ENEA, Giovanni Pavesi, CEO, Linde Gas Italy, Jochen Froe- brich, Coordinator of Water and AgriFood, WssTP and Professors C.S Psomopoulos and G.C. Io- annides, Electrical Engineering Department, Piraeus University of Applied Sciences. Paragon Group Chairman Ed- win Ward said: "With Minister Jose Herrera we agreed to work over the longterm in 3 areas: mobility, circular economy and financial instruments to tackle these two: we trust this will frame how Malta should start preparing now for the future im- pact of climate change. A long- term adaptation and mitigation plan to cope with the effects must start now. This includes identifying the areas that will be prone to sea flooding and build- ing appropriate flood defences; drawing up a comprehensive wa- ter framework plan to ensure the survival of the mean sea level aq- uifer; developing comprehensive mitigation and adaptability plans to protect our cultural heritage; and others. We are proud to lead this from the front as the the na- tional contact point for Climate- KIC" The conference culminates in with a Valletta Declaration on a Mediterranean Zero Carbon Economy. For the programme and to register: http://paragon- events.eu/event.php?c=climate- change or email: events@para- goneurope.eu GreenPak Coop reports best year of operation GREENPAK Coop, the largest waste recovery system in Malta, an- nounced that 2016 was its best year yet. This success follows increases in its membership base as well as increases in the tonnage of packag- ing waste collected and recycled. 2016 also marked the first full year of GreenPak operation in the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) scheme. In the last quarter of 2016 GreenPak also launched BA- TREE, its battery waste collection and recycling scheme. All this ac- tivity together with an efficient op- erations lead to GreenPak declaring the highest surplus to date. During the Annual General Meet- ing held at Kooperattivi Malta in Qormi, GreenPak's President Vic- tor Galea said that its members had declared: "20,381, tons of packaging waste placed on the market of which more than 13,200 tons were recy- cled." The amount exceeded the minimum national target set at 55%. Victor Galea said that GreenPak should be proud of this achievement and added that in its first year of op- erating the WEEE scheme GreenPak had collected 568 tons of the 3990 tons of electronic waste declared by its members. "The GreenPak Coop- erative model is working well and GreenPak members should be proud to form part of this co-operative". "The 2016 operations has yielded the highest surplus of funds gener- ated to-date. The surplus equating to 32% of fees paid will be distributed to the co-operative shareholders as patronage refunds," Galea added. The financial results of GreenPak were audited by PriceWaterhouse- Coopers (PwC). CEO Mario Schembri said, "Green- Pak strengthened its leadership in waste recovery as the cooperative continued to develop three areas of activities, namely packaging waste, WEEE and the BATREE schemes." Schembri announced that over the next two years GreenPak's bring- in sites' infrastructure will be up- graded whilst by the end of this year more than 500 battery recycling points will be available across Malta and Gozo. Schembri added that GreenPak is committed at improving its exist- ing collection systems and as an example he cited the fact that within a short time of launching the BA- TREE scheme 200 collection bins in schools, shops, supermarkets and Local Councils were available to the general public to dispose of their used batteries. By the end of 2017 GreenPak have targeted having 500 battery collection points available across Malta and Gozo. "Looking ahead, GreenPak is con- scious of Malta's Waste Management Road Map and the ongoing changes in EU waste regulations. The land- scape around us keeps changing yet we are confident and determined to provide Maltese companies with the best solution to fulfil their extended producer responsibility (EPR)," con- cluded Ing Schembri. GreenPak's elected new Commit- tee Board is composed of Victor Galea, Executive Director of VJ Sa- lomone Marketing Ltd, Denis Zam- mit Cutajar, CEO of P. Cutajar & Co Ltd, Edward von Brockdorff, Direc- tor of Von Brockdorff Imports Ltd., Pierre Fava, CEO of Kemimport Ltd., Brian Galea, General Manager at GSD Marketing Ltd. Lionel M. Cassola, Company Secretary of G.A. Enterprises Ltd., Norman Aquilina, Group Chief Executive at Farsons, Peter Martin, Director at Attard & Co Food Ltd. During the AGM, PwC were re-appointed as auditors. GreenPak's new Committee Board (from left) Edward von Brockdorff, Norman Aquilina, Mario Schembri, Victor Galea, Denis Zammit Cutajar, Peter Martin, Lionel M. Cassola, and Brian Galea HERTZ Malta, operated by United Garage Ltd, a subsidiary of the United Group of Companies, has appointed Ron Scerri as General Manager, respon- sible for its local car rental & Lease operations. One of the oldest Hertz franchisees in Europe, United Garage Ltd has been operating the leading car rental brand since 1961. Scerri comes with years of experience in manage- ment having worked with some leading internation- al brands both locally and abroad. Commenting about his new appointment, Scerri said "I am proud to be joining Hertz Malta, at such an important and exciting time for the company. The Hertz brand has a rich legacy in the local car rental and lease sectors with more than half a cen- tury of experience in the country." Hertz Malta has recently opened its new head- quarters in Luqa, just a few minutes away from the Airport. "These new offices not only helped us reorganise our management and administration teams to be able to function more effectively, but will also allow us to re-assess and strengthen our customer-service approach and more importantly, Hertz's local pres- ence and visibility." "As we gear ourselves up for the approaching busy summer season, Hertz in Malta is in the process of boosting its fleet of rental cars with new and inter- esting makes and models to continue to fulfill all our customers' needs and preferences." Ron Scerri concluded. Hertz Malta appoints new General Manager