Memorandum to Political Parties March 2022
At the European level, the architecture profession is strongly promoting the New Bauhaus initiative which was launched together with the EU’s Green Deal package. The MEA calls for this initiative to be strongly supported by an incoming Government as it brings with it strong merits in recognizing the interdependencies and linkages between sustainability and aesthetics, as well as with “inclusivity”. The initiative, which is not solely restricted to construction but extends to cultural heritage in its wider context, promotes a new, community-based, approach to design, and hence industry. Malta should embrace and actively contribute towards Europe’s ambitions to consolidate its leading position in “design” related to energy efficiency, and sustainability, as a way of promoting a strong economy. Moreover, the MEA believes that a concerted effort continues to be desperately needed from the part of the incoming Government, the industry and industry professionals to collectively improve the reputation of the construction industry by raising the bar in terms of quality and professionalism, as well as rendering it greener. Both objectives can in fact be linked if, for example, developers that place projects on the market that conform to higher quality and environmental standards are incentivised. Likewise, building contractors may be incentivised if their building methods are greener, conform to a predefined standard of good neighbourliness and generate low levels of negative externalities such as H&S risk, pollution and inconvenience. Clearly, this strategy also requires active communication campaigns directed at the market in order to sensitise buyers to the advantages – fiscal, financial and otherwise – to investing in high-quality, convenient and green solutions that provide convenience, better quality of life and realistic payback times for the buyer.
6.6
ODZ
It is strongly recommended that any development on ODZ areas will be subject to a two thirds majority in parliament.
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