Foreword

SMEs National Forum 2021 - Report

Foreword

Joanne Bondin MEA President

As part of its strategy to offer leadership, guidance and support to members on various employment issues, the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) organised a National Conference in November 2021 to discuss “SMEs & Green Growth – The Journey Ahead”.

Employers are increasingly becoming involved in matters that are indirectly related to employment and we felt the need to organise an event dedicated specifically to the Environment pillar of ESG. This conference also complemented our previous conference which was organised in June 2021, which discussed the balance between Sustainable Economic Growth and Quality of Life. So, within the space of a few months, it was deemed opportune by our association, to tackle the sensitive matter pertaining to the effect of economic growth on environmental sustainability. Or put differently, the balance between production and the planet within the context of companies’ corporate sustainability motives or ESG responsibilities. Such balance, is key to ascertaining harmony between these two existential objectives whilst safeguarding citizens’ quality of life.

The MEA intended to derive concrete and lasting benefits from its Conference, which benefits would be accessible to a wider audience, well beyond the group of people who participated actively in its event. To this end, it has compiled this publication which presents the outcome of the discussions in the context of the opinions put forward by business and the various authorities represented. The document, in fact, presents the highlights of all the interventions made during the event by means of over 80 footnotes of direct quotations made by the various Speakers. The publication is divided into six sections presenting the context, the position of the MEA and then further capturing the general substance of the positions brought forward at the Conference by the speakers who ably outlined the needs and challenges of each sector. Such needs are compared in the document, which highlights the levels of support available, to facilitate the green transition of business at the micro and/or sectoral level. In the interest of completeness, the Document also includes the full speeches or transcripts, which are presented according to availability, which have been annexed to this publication. We felt that such detail is important to highlight the state of affairs, so as to enable the changeover to green.

I am positive that this publication will support the MEA in making the necessary representations to the Authorities, in seeking to iron out the remaining gaps in institutional support required for business to implement the “twin transition” towards green and digital growth, whilst always providing leadership and support to members on the matter.