€2.5 million investment by the Energy and Water Agency
More than 100 voluntary organisations are benefitting from funds provided by the Energy and Water Agency to become more efficient in energy and water usage.
Through this scheme, these organisations are reducing emissions whilst cutting their costs, thereby having more resources to strengthen their operations and services within the community.
Whilst acknowledging their efforts, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli said how such schemes demonstrate a commitment to advancing sustainability.
“Our country is fortunate to have a dynamic voluntary sector consistently showcasing its ability to drive positive change within our communities. We need to ensure that volunteering remains one of the main pillars towards a more sustainable and just society. Through the Energy and Water Agency’s scheme, we are leading initiatives to empower volunteers, thereby generating substantial benefits for our nation,” said Minister Miriam Dalli.
The Energy and Water Agency (EWA) allocated around €2.5 million to more than 100 voluntary organisations through this scheme, which was launched in 2019. Each organisation received grants ranging from €1,000 to €27,000, depending on the type of project.
Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli praised the effective joint effort between the Energy and Water Agency and the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, with the collaboration of the Commission for Voluntary Organisations, through which there is better understanding of the needs of voluntary organisations and therefore for the scheme to be more effectively targeted.
“We believe that voluntary organisations are a main stakeholder in our country’s progress to more sustainability,” said Minister Farrugia Portelli.
The projects resulted in reduction of a total of 1.4-gigawatt hour of energy consumed along the past four years. In this manner, besides saving on their bills, voluntary organisations who benefitted from this scheme have also managed to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by more than 500 tonnes.
Voluntary organisations benefiting from this scheme range from social clubs, music, and sports organisations, amongst others. Some of the projects carried out in the facilities of these organisations include the restoration of reservoirs, installation of secondary water networks for rainwater harvesting, upgrade of kitchen appliance, and the installation of LED lights and dimming controls.
Also present for the event were EWA’s CEO Manuel Sapiano, Malta’s Council for Voluntary Sector CEO Mauro Pace Parascandalo and Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations Jesmond Saliba.
Għajnuna lil 100 għaqda volontarja għall-effiċjenza fl-enerġija u l-ilma
Investiment ta’ €2.5 miljun mill-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma
Iktar minn 100 għaqda volontarja qed jibbenefikaw minn fondi tal-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma biex isiru iżjed effiċjenti fl-użu tal-enerġija u l-ilma.
Permezz ta’ din l-iskema, dawn l-għaqdiet qed inaqqsu l-emissjonijiet filwaqt li naqqsu l-ispejjeż tagħhom u b’hekk ikollhom iżjed riżorsi biex isaħħu l-operat u s-servizzi tagħhom fil-komunità.
Waqt attività ta’ rikonoxximent lil dawn l-għaqdiet, il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli qalet kif skemi bħal dawn juru l-impenn sabiex ħadd ma jaqa’ lura fil-mixja lejn is-sostenibbiltà.
“Pajjiżna huwa fortunat li għandu settur tal-volontarjat li dejjem wera kemm hu kapaċi li jwettaq bidliet pożittivi fil-komunitajiet madwarna. Irridu niżguraw li l-volontarjat jibqa’ wieħed mill-pilastri ewlenin fil-mixja lejn soċjetà aktar sostenibbli u ġusta. B’din l-iskema tal-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma, qed inkomplu nixprunaw lil ħafna voluntiera biex jibqgħu jsaħħu l-ħidma tagħhom, fejn qed iħallu ħafna ġid f’pajjiżna,” qalet il-Ministru Miriam Dalli.
L-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma (EWA) tat madwar €2.5 miljun lil iktar minn 100 għaqda volontarja permezz ta’ din l-iskema, li fetħet fl-2019. Kull għaqda rċeviet għotjiet ta’ bejn €1,000 u €27,000, skont it-tip ta’ proġett.
Il-Ministru għall-Inklużjoni, il-Volontarjat u d-Drittijiet tal-Konsumatur Julia Farrugia Portelli faħħret il-ħidma konġunta li saret bejn l-EWA u l-Kunsill Malti għall-Volontarjat, bil-kollaborazzjoni tal-Kummissjoni għall-Volontarjat, li permezz tagħha seta’ jkun hemm sinerġija biex l-iskema tkun tifhem iktar il-bżonnijiet ta’ dawn l-għaqdiet volontarji u għalhekk l-iskema tkun iktar immirata għalihom.
“Nemmnu li l-għaqdiet volontarji f’pajjiżna huma stakeholder ewlieni fil-mixja ta’ pajjiżna favur is-sostenibbiltà,” saħqet il-Ministru Farrugia Portelli.
Il-proġetti implimentati mill-għaqdiet li bbenefikaw minn din l-iskema tul dawn l-erba’ snin irriżultaw fi tnaqqis totali ta’ 1.4 gigawatt hour ta’ enerġija kkunsmata. B’hekk, minbarra li kienu qed jiffrankaw mill-kontijiet tagħhom, dawn l-għaqdiet naqqsu l-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju (CO2) b’iktar minn 500 tunnellata.
L-għaqdiet li bbenefikaw minn din l-iskema jvarjaw minn għaqdiet soċjali, mużikali u sportivi fost l-oħrajn. Fost il-proġetti li saru fil-faċilitajiet ta’ dawn l-għaqdiet volontarji kien hemm restawr ta’ ġwiebi, installazzjoni ta’ networks għall-ilma sekondarju biex jintuża l-ilma tax-xita, investiment f’apparat tal-kċina u tagħmir t’arja kundizzjonata iktar effiċjenti, u installazzjoni ta’ dwal LED u dimming controls.
Preżenti għal din l-attività kien hemm il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-EWA Manuel Sapiano, il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Kunsill għas-Settur tal-Volontarjat Mauro Pace Parascandalo u l-Kummissarju għall-Għaqdiet Volontarji Jesmond Saliba.