WE MAKE project / DOI Photo Jason Borg

In collaboration among the Energy and Water Agency (EWA), the Malta Business Bureau and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, businesses within the manufacturing industry will be given further guidance on how to consume energy and water efficiently.

The agreement was signed by the EWA, the Malta Business Bureau (MBB), which represents The Malta Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association in Brussels and Malta, and The Malta Chamber, in the presence of Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development, Miriam Dalli.

With the WE MAKE project (Water and Energy Management and Knowledge Transfer in Manufacturing Enterprises), the manufacturing sector will benefit from energy audits, offered by the EWA, so that businesses are guided on how to enhance their energy consumption and operate efficiently.

This project will offer information on possible financial investments, where a forum will be created so that businesses can discuss and present best practices in the sector. This will lead businesses to have more guidance on how to operate sustainably.

Thanks to the WE MAKE project, the manufacturing sector will strengthen the competitiveness of the industry and therefore will increase investment in Malta, the Energy Ministry said.

During a press conference, Minister Dalli remarked on how with this agreement and collaboration more businesses will be assisted to have sustainable operations.

“The Government is continuously incentivising the general public as well as the private sector through various incentives and measures whilst implementing policies so that our country will continue working on decarbonisation.

“Through collective work with different social partners and entities, the government is implementing this aim. Therefore, though WE MAKE project, we will continue to facilitate further the manufacturing sector, whilst assuring that they will have all the necessary tools and resources, to be part of this sustainable change”, said Minister Dalli.

President of the MBB, Alison Mizzi said the organisation “has been developing and running energy and water projects for over a decade now. We have learnt that, while considerable technical knowledge on efficiency does exist, it is concentrated in a few performing businesses.

“The same can be said for knowledge of financing options. We, therefore, believe that it is important to have an ongoing mechanism for knowledge transfer and aim for the WE MAKE project to fulfil this role”.

“Malta must mobilise its resources in collaboration with the private sector to ensure that new and hybrid technologies, business re-engineering and other opportunities are mobilised to bridge the significant gap between our fossil fuel economy and the clean, smart and sustainable economy of tomorrow. For this reason, we are pleased to partner with the national authority – the Energy and Water Agency – and the Malta Business Bureau on the WE MAKE project”, stated the President of Malta Chamber, Marisa Xuereb.

This initiative forms part of a wider project aimed at facilitating energy audits for businesses. In July 2021, following the signing of an MoU between the SME Chamber and EWA, grocery stores and similar businesses will also benefit from an energy audit to better their day-to-day operations.

In May 2021, Minister Dalli had announced a €5,000 grant for companies seeking out energy audits.

Featured Image:

Launch of WE MAKE / DOI Photo by Jason Borg 

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