100 voluntary organisations assisted to become more efficient in energy and water use
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 while cutting their costs, thereby having more resources to strengthen their operations and services within the community.
While acknowledging their efforts, the 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 Dalli.
The Energy and Water Agency (EWA) allocated around €2.5m 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.
The Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli praised the effective joint effort between the EWA 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 a 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 that 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, among 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 appliances 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 the commissioner for Voluntary Organisations Jesmond Saliba.