Grow to Prosper Miriam Dalli, Minister

MINISTER FOR ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND ENTERPRISE, MIRIAM DALLI

GROW TO PROSPER

Your vision, much like ours, is a forwardlooking one. For the success of any business depends on its ability to regenerate itself, retain its relevance in an ever-developing economy as it firmly cements its reputation for one that can deliver.

The country is eyeing a modern, fairer, and greener economic model. A stronger economy that targets not only growth, but better prosperity and an improved quality of life. A sustainable economy which helps our country reduce its emissions and transition towards a net-zero climate.

A key component of this is the transition towards a circular economy, a transition that thrives on innovation, research, and development. Realistically, how do we achieve this and why should efforts be shifted in this direction?

By targeting the very initial stages of how products are designed, before they are launched on the market, businesses would be able to prevent waste generation and promote the reuse of such products in different forms. In this way, one can fully optimise the use of resources and materials which are retained in the economy while increasing project longevity for as long as possible.

In 2020, as part of the plans for continued sustainable growth, the European Commission adopted the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) with the aim of reducing environmental pressures and creating more green jobs, in an effort to strengthen our economy. This is indeed one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. The Green Deal will have an enormously positive effect, beyond merely the environment. It will modernise industry, improve social inclusion and create green and blue jobs. One of the most fundamental conditions that I deem important is that people are equipped with the skills required for the green transition. To remain competitive and provide quality careers, businesses need realistic targets, planning, security, and flexibility when new measures to mitigate climate change are adopted.

That is why we felt it was ever so important to keep on supporting businesses even during the most challenging times.

With the goal of ensuring better wellbeing and a higher quality of life in our modern societies, we must assess the full life cycle of products on the market, consumption patterns as well as foster systemic change. By design, the concept of having a circular economy is regenerative; ensuring that all the energy and materials injected in the economic system respect the environment with the least possible impact – in what we now call ‘eco-design’.

While still supporting the notion of recycling, it is important to understand that circular economy does not necessarily push this forward, but rather, it has to do with how waste management investments and policy actions are designed to influence a more sustainable market for a greener and more circular economy. This ultimately leads to the longevity of products and, importantly, investment.

Sustainable production and consumer choices in the circular economy hold a key to addressing this growing problem. How? This can be done by making more efficient use of secondary and critical raw materials, creating jobs in new sectors where waste is now a resource, educating consumers of all ages on how to generate less waste and stimulating demand for circular products through public procurement and economic incentives.

The development of sustainable products must become the norm so that opting for sustainable materials and products becomes the default choice. The list of sectors which can greatly influence this transition is endless, which makes collaboration and a joined-up approach pivotal.

We have achieved a lot, but we will need to do much more for our country to truly lead the national transition towards a circular economy, especially in the sectors of waste and buildings.

If we want change, we need to start by being the change and source, and produce and dispose with circularity in mind. Ultimately, our very own choices will not be solely safeguarding our environment but our own economy and longevity. M+S