The ministry with SUNx are aiming to take the lead in a global effort aimed at converting the threat of global climate change into an opportunity. The Global Centre for Climate Friendly Travel will launch measures accordingly. Malta will aim to deliver a number of initiatives designed to support the sector in its transformation, in collaboration with SUNx.

These initiatives and transformations include an annual review of the “Sector Climate Friendly Travel”, which will be published within the context of the United Nations General Assembly alongside the United Nation’s Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in September and will be circulated widely amongst industry players, as the DOI press statement says.

In addition, an annual Malta Think Tank and a Climate Friendly travel summit are planned, as well as a public/private collaboration to engage graduate trainees to help deliver transformation in the front line, entitled Plan for Our Kids to put 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions across all United Nations states by 2030

“There is a growing international consensus for a strong shift from talk to action. This is amply evidenced by the political action of the European Union in raising the stakes these past few weeks by announcing the allocation of 1 in every 4 euro of the next budget to climate resilience,” said Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi. “This initiative will put Malta at the forefront of this change in creating more climate-friendly travel. We will become the home of SUNx — the Strong Universal Network — a global centre for Climate Friendly Travel following the targets of the Paris Agreement set in 2015.”

SUNx Co-founder Professor Geoffrey Lipman noted that “The reality is that we have a Climate Crisis and that the scientists, the governments, and the next generation are demanding an increased ambition. Travel and Tourism is a pivotal part of human activity and has to be at the leading edge of change.”

“Our collaboration with the government of Malta will provide a new impetus through Climate Friendly Travel, Measured, Green, and 2050-proof: a pathway to the New Climate Economy and 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions by 2030 to help the transformation. This is carrying on the vision of Maurice Strong, the father of Sustainable Development, who believed that Travel and Tourism could be a catalyst for positive change,” Mr Lipman added.

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The project includes the introduction of a new system of culverts connecting to an existing reservoir together with another reservoir that will be built as part of the same project, as well as work towards the regeneration of the village square.

The first phase of the project included a new stormwater culvert system with around 830 metres of pipes which will direct rainwater from the square to a new reservoir that will be built in the second phase and with a capacity of around 11,000 cubic metres, which system will also connect to a number of grilles along the width of the roads in question, Ministry Permanent Secretary Christopher Cutajar said. He added that service cables will be removed from facades in the square and new paving will be installed.

“This is a project that will improve infrastructure in Mqabba, a sustainable project which will embellish this locality while considering the needs of the community. Finally, this project will improve quality of life in Mqabba and that is our primary goal,” Mr Cutajar said.

Upon announcing the completion of the first phase, Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, talked about plans for the regeneration of the village square that he described as an important community meeting space. The minister also praised the cooperation between the government and the local councils, according to the DOI press release.

“We are committed to seeing to improvements on every level in our country. The government is committed to raising the level of our country’s infrastructure – road infrastructure, facility infrastructure and public spaces infrastructure, among others,” Mr Borg said.

Mayor Charlene Muscat tagged the project as an “unprecedented investment in Mqabba”.

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The MEDE also wants to make the teaching profession more attractive for aspiring educators.

The ministry believes that through duly collaboration with the union, they can address issues related to the profession, and in turn, come up with solutions that better serve both the teachers and the students.

The government hopes that through economic growth and job creation the country has recently experienced, salaries and the career path of teachers and educators can improve, as compared to previous years when the profession appeared to lag behind, the DOI press statement says.

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