Winner Public awareness 2019

21 October 2019
Public awareness
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Projects

Winner GTI Awards 2019 – Public awareness

Malta CSR Institute “Together for sustainability”

General information:

Island (Region, Province, Country):
Malta

Population:
475,000

Budget / cost of the project:
HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. managed to get nearly Euro 1 million from Group Funding from the HSBC Water Programme Fund. Part of these funds where utilized to set up the Malta CSR Institute – Together for Sustainability.

Project objectives:

The Malta CSR Institute – Together for Sustainability, established with funding from HSBC, brought together multiple stakeholders under one roof to imbue them with the ideals and principles of long-term sustainability. The one-day course included a series of talks on water conservation, energy consumption, waste management and reduction, and sustainable development.

Project description of activities and specific interventions:

Designed using Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) principles by Dr Alexandra Mifsud from the Centre of Environmental Education Research (CEER) at the University of Malta, and Amanda Zahra from the Energy and Water Agency, the sessions were organised by the Malta CSR Institute and funded by the HSBC Water Programme. The programme was directed at businesses, where employees were trained on behaviour changes to help safeguard the environment and lead a more sustainable lifestyle at home and at work.

Sessions began on 24 October 2018 with close to 500 participants from HSBC staff and external organisations. As word spread about the value of the course, a Business Breakfast was organised on 10 June 2019 for CEOs of interested organisations. Dr Mifsud and Ms Zahra explained how infusing sustainability into business policies and practices not only upholds basic responsibilities to people and planet, but also sets the stage for long-term success. Other speakers were; Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Jose Herrera, the Minister for Energy and Water Management Joe Mizzi, Farsons CEO Norman Aquilina, and HSBC CEO Andrew Beane. The last session, on 27 June 2019, was linked to the annual European CSR day.

Going forward The Malta CSR Institute will also begin delivering a series of sessions to the business community on how to minimize food waste. Aside from environmental initiatives, the Malta CSR Institute is also helping to promote financial literacy through a series of public seminars organized in collaboration with the Malta Business Bureau.

Public outreach, education and awareness efforts and results:

A press event was held at Ghajn in October 2018 to launch of the Malta CSR Institute. Addressed by the Minister for Energy and Water Management Joe Mizzi, this event attracted considerable media attention. For one example of the coverage achieved see: https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/malta-corporate-social-responsibility-institute-launched-sustainable-use-of-water-resources/

The Institute also established a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Malta-CSR-Institute-317729455718552/ through which it disseminates sustainability messages the latest relevant news.

While the training sessions were taking place, businesses were further encouraged to adopt sustainable behaviour through an article published by the Malta Chamber of Commerce. This can be viewed here: https://www.maltachamber.org.mt/en/here-s-how-the-malta-csr-institute-is-teaching-businesses-to-be-more-sustainable

A press release was also issued following the previously mentioned CEO breakfast. This generated 8 news items in the national media, accompanied by photos, and covering a total of 744 column centimetres.

Research conducted among the participants indicated that 88 per cent are influenced by sustainability considerations in their everyday routine. Further research among attendees highlighted the need for further ESD training to cultivate a culture of critical thinking and problem-based learning in order to change behaviour.