Ms Liana DeBattista, Chief Strategy Officer, APS Bank (far left) at the press conference, Perit David Xuereb, Lead Advisor to the Alliance (centre) and top representatives from the other twelve founding members of the Alliance.
The recently launched Malta ESG Alliance brings together some of Malta’s leading organisations with the common aim of promoting Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) themes to the fore of the national agenda. Advised by Perit David Xuereb and EY Malta, the thirteen founding members are committed to attract other players from across the local business community to act as credible, exemplary leaders in tackling sustainability issues first-hand. The first thematic chosen by the Alliance is ‘climate change and decarbonisation’.
Banks play a critical role in accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy by engaging with their customers, facilitating sustainable finance and doing so in a manner of transparency and accountability. APS Bank recognises the scale of the challenge presented in the decarbonisation of the Maltese economy in order to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures from climate change.
In a recorded message streamed at the launch event on 20 July 2022, CEO Marcel Cassar augured that the Alliance “also looks at quick – and important – wins at the local level. The Maltese Islands have some of their own issues to think about, like over-development, heavy urbanization, waste management, pollution and transportation.” He added: “I also encourage us to look at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, as our guiding light because they go beyond climate change and provide nations with a framework within which to move toward more equitable, peaceful, resilient and prosperous societies.”
